Rachel Ellis began her musical training at the Kent Junior Music School in Maidstone on Saturday mornings where she studied with Gillian Sansom. From there she won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music where she studied with Jaroslav Vanecek for five years. On leaving college she worked with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for a short spell, taught and coached for Hounslow Borough Council and played second violin in the Dove String quartet for an intense three years, before marrying her husband Hugo and moving to Hurtwood House School in Surrey. They moved from the school to settle in Broadbridge Heath, Horsham and since then she has continued to teach privately and enjoy chamber music with other local musicians. Rachel has taught at Christ’s Hospital School since 2003 and has led the Horsham Symphony Orchestra since 2007. 

Since 2008 Rachel has played regularly with the Kings Chamber Orchestra, primarily giving concerts in churches around the country in the run up to Christmas, although since 2021 they have established a festival week in July in Jersey.

In 2010 Rachel was gifted a beautiful 250 year old un-named Italian instrument by her father, which gave her playing a new lease of life. Since then she has enjoyed much more solo and chamber music performing. She has performed Mendelssohn, Elgar, Sibelius, Brahms and Bruch concertos with the HSO and Brahms’ Double concerto with cellist Pavlos Carvalho. On the chamber music front, she joined the Brighton Chamber Ensemble in 2015 from which grew the Kelleth Piano Trio. Both of these ensembles perform regularly across Sussex and Surrey. Occasional performances with teaching colleagues from Christ’s Hospital have been a joy. Her newest ensemble, formed in 2024, the Greenwood Quartet, have been exploring some exciting and challenging string quartet repertoire. Rachel has also enjoyed gathering a wide range of friends, family and colleagues to play chamber music in St John’s church, Broadbridge Heath on a Sunday afternoon, audiences are welcome on the understanding that these are unrehearsed readings and very informal, but always followed by cake!

In 2009 Rachel, in partnership with local teacher colleagues, Rosemary Hensor and Kay Tucker, set up and developed the Horsham Performers Platform (HPP), which seeks to encourage budding musicians of all ages and stages in their development. In 2018 HPP became a charity, of which Rachel is currently the chair of trustees. HPP’s main event, the adjudicated festival, takes place in June each year; they also seek to host several other performances throughout the year.

In 2017 Rachel took a six month sabbatical to Uganda, where she was teaching and performing for the Kampala Music School. Whilst in Africa, she also visited Kenya where she coached and played as soloist with The Nairobi Orchestra.