A native New Zealander, Rachel Johnston has performed as a soloist in Austria, Milan, Kuwait, Edinburgh, Belfast, Paris, Australia, England and the United States. She was awarded First Prize in her debut international competition - the Wettbewerb for Violoncello in Austria in 1998. Rachel has been awarded an Honours Degree in Cello Performance from the Canterbury University in Christchurch, Masters in Performance with Distinction at London University and an Artist’s Diploma in Performance from the acclaimed Juilliard School in Manhattan. Rachel has toured for Musica Viva and Chamber Music New Zealand, recorded extensively for radio and premiered works by Sofia Gubaidulina, Alexei Denisov, and Shawn Crouch.