Rachel Desoer is a Canadian cellist. She studied at the Juilliard School, Oberlin College, McGill University, and the Banff Centre. She graduated from Oberlin in 2008 with a Bachelor of Music.

Rachel was the cellist of the Cecilia String Quartet from 2010 to 2018. In this ensemble, Rachel toured extensively around the world, recorded four albums on the Analekta label, and taught chamber music at the University of Toronto.

Touring has allowed Rachel to perform at such inspiring venues as Wigmore Hall, The Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Konzert Haus Berlin, and many more. The Cecilia Quartet also made educational programming a priority, and performed hundreds of presentations for schools. In 2014, the quartet created a concert series called Xenia Concerts specifically designed for children on the autism spectrum and their families. Exemplifying their commitment to the equal representation of women in music, Rachel spearheaded the commissioning of four string quartets by Canadian women composers in 2016.

Rachel continues to play recitals and concertos with orchestras regularly. She has worked most notably with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company. Two of her recordings have been nominated for JUNO Awards. Currently, Rachel is the Principal Cello of Symphony Nova Scotia.

Rachel performs on a Vuillaume cello from ca. 1850, generously loaned by the Symphony Nova Scotia Society.

 

Q&A with Rachel

Do you play any other instruments? What are they?
Over the past 35 years I’ve tried to play many instruments. I was in choirs growing up and I took piano lessons as a kid for three years. In middle school I tried the flute and in high school I tried the oboe. As an adult, I even took a few French horn lessons with Mary Lee! I’ve tried to get back to my first love of singing many times. Through all these trials, I rediscover that making music is hard and I’m blessed/doomed to play the cello as it’s what I have the most skill and experience with.

What do you love about symphonic music?
I’m actually fairly new to the symphonic world. When I began at Symphony Nova Scotia in 2018 my previous work in orchestras had been as a substitute musician. In fact, I had avoided playing in orchestras whenever possible. I found it stressful because there were so many people and so many sounds to navigate. Now, for the same reasons I found it stressful, I find it exhilarating. Orchestras are huge organisms full of symbiotic relationships. When everyone involved listens and reacts, the music comes together and it feels like magic.

Do you teach music? Where, and why?
Yes, I teach cello at the maritime conservatory here in Halifax. I teach because Hilary Brown called me during the pandemic and asked if I would take on some of the crowd of people who wanted to start cello lessons. I said yes and I’m so glad I did. I teach mostly adult amateur students and I find their enthusiasm and dedication inspiring. With the help of Hilary and Aiden, I run a week long summer “camp” for adults which is one of the highlights of my year.

 

Watch & Learn More

Visit Rachel’s website at racheldesoer.com and check out her videos on YouTube.