Bio
Master of Music in Piano Performance
Rachel Larsen
Rachel is a free-lance pianist and music teacher with a Master of Music with an emphasis in Piano Performance. She began studying piano at a young age with Julie Stepanova, a private piano teacher. Upon entering university, she studied with Professor Gary Amano, Dr. Jessica Gibbons, Dr. Cahill Smith (of Utah State University), and Dr. Daria Rabotkina (of Texas State University). While studying at university, Rachel discovered a great interest in music theory and analysis, nurtured by Dr. Cynthia Gonzales (of Texas State University), a beloved mentor. Though primarily a soloist, Rachel has significant experience in ensemble and collaborative performance.
With more than ten years of teaching experience, Rachel is an experienced and extensively trained music teacher. Her teaching experience is primarily comprised of private piano lessons, as well as teaching in the classroom. Her years in the classroom teaching music theory have strengthened her appreciation of the topic and enlightened her to the many ways theory and performance overlap, to the benefit of her students and herself. Rachel is a firm proponent of piano technique and healthy piano playing, and a lifelong learner who is interested in many different topics; she often remarks that her students teach her just as much as she teaches them.
Rachel enjoys creating concerts and recitals that are enjoyable both musically and intellectually. While many audiences simply come to concerts to enjoy beautiful music, Rachel likes to find various ways to bridge the gap between the professional and the amateur. As a result, Rachel has planned and/or participated in lecture recitals, fusion recitals where familiar songs are reimagined in a classical style and popular music is programmed along with classical music, and themed concerts. Rather than exclusively attracting classical music enthusiasts, Rachel is a passionate activist of expanding the classical music audience to include listeners of all musical maturity and experience.
