Biography
Rachel Chao is a Taiwan-native pianist celebrated for her work as a soloist and collaborative artist. She has performed extensively throughout Taiwan, Canada, and the United States, appearing at major venues such as Carnegie–Weill Recital Hall, the Chicago Cultural Center, Houston Wortham Center, and Houston Hobby Center.
Chao has collaborated with distinguished artists and organizations, including Houston Grand Opera, Mercury: The Orchestra Refined, and Houston Ballet. With Mercury, she appeared in Loving Clara Schumann, a program exploring the music and artistic legacy of Clara Schumann. Her work with Houston Ballet includes the New York City tour of Reflections as well as the company’s 50th Anniversary Gala.
Since 2009, Chao has served as a staff pianist at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, collaborating extensively in the voice and opera programs and continuing to serve the voice department. She also maintains a private piano studio in Richmond, Texas, and has taught at California State University, Bakersfield, Camp Encore-Coda (Maine), and New Heart Music Ministries, where she continues to teach music camps in the summers.
Her principal teachers include Walter Cosand at Arizona State University, where she received the Bachelor of Music, and Alan Chow at Northwestern University, where she completed both the Master of Music and Doctor of Music.