Rachel Gough learnt the violin with Gillian Sansom for eleven years before attending the University of East Anglia, where she won performance scholarships enabling her to study with Hugh Maguire. With a scholarship from The Wall Trust she entered the Royal College of Music, studying with Frances Mason and receiving regular chamber music coaching from the Chilingirian Quartet. She graduated in 1997 with an MMus Degree in Advanced Performance.

Rachel is regularly in demand, both as a soloist and as an orchestral and chamber musician. She is Principal Second Violinist of the Emerald Ensemble, Bristol’s professional orchestra which gives around 60 concerts each year, with whom she has made a number of commercial recordings and other recording work for film including BBC productions. With the Emerald Quartet she has travelled widely performing in numerous music festivals around the UK. She also works regularly with a number of ensembles in the West of England, including the Bath Pump Room Trio, the Bath Philharmonia, the Southern Sinfonia and the Sarum Chamber Orchestra. She is also increasingly in demand with a number of period instrument ensembles and has given solo performances on the Baroque violin in venues including the Foundling Museum, and St. James’s Palace. Whilst living in Wells she was violin tutor to specialist musicians at Wells Cathedral School.

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