ABOUT ME
Since her PBS broadcasted debut chamber performance at Carnegie Hall through From the Top Live from Carnegie, violist Rachel Li McDonald has continued to be an active performer and teacher in both solo, chamber, and orchestra settings throughout North America and Japan. Through the Young Musicians Foundation Chamber Program, Rachel has performed live on KMZT Radio’s “Sunday Live” broadcast various times. In 2006, she also performed live on KMZT for YMF Mozart 250th Birthday Chamber Concert. She also performed as part of the Colburn Honor’s Quartet as well as in various chamber festivals such as Encore Summer School for Strings, The Quartet Program, and Heifetz International Summer Institute. Chamber coaches include Earl Carlyss, Daniel Heifetz, Nicholas Mann, Desmond Hoebig, and James Dunham.
In addition to having soloed with the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic, Rachel has also performed as an orchestral musician in the Colburn Chamber Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, and Shepherd School of Music Orchestra under such conductors as Ronald Leonard, James DePreist, Bernard Haitink, Tan Dun, and Larry Rachleff. She also performed as part of Rice University’s Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra in Baltimore’s Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and Carnegie Hall conducted under Maestro Rachleff.
Rachel holds a Bachelors degree from The Juilliard School under Heidi Castleman and Misha Amory as well as a Masters degree at Rice University studying under James Dunham. She previously studied with Diana Ray Goodman, John Hayhurst, and Brian Chen. She has also performed in masterclasses with Paul Coletti and David Holland, as well as the renowned Biava Quartet, Cavani Quartet, and Takacs Quartet.
Rachel is also an active member of the Stonebriar Quartet and has recorded a Christmas album Deck the Halls with them.
Passionate about spreading the joy of music to the community, Rachel was a part of the Gluck Fellowship program offered at Juilliard, through which she went to a variety of hospitals and care centers throughout the city to perform to audiences ranging from young children to the elderly. In her pre-college days, Rachel also was a part of an ensemble called Sunset Hills String Ensemble, performing similar outreach concerts in Southern California.
Eager to pass on her knowledge and experience to the next generation, Rachel currently resides in Plano, TX and has a successful viola studio there. Her students have made it into the TMEA All-State Orchestras as well as been highly ranked in the top All-Region orchestras in the area. She has also had students get 1st place in the Dallas Symphonic Festival Competitions in multiple categories.