Rachel Johnston

One of Australia's most versatile performing and teaching artists, Rachel Johnston is a well known classical and alternative cellist.

Rachel became well known to Australian audiences performing as cellist in the Australian String Quartet from 2006-2013. During this time she performed with leading international artists including Pieter Wispelwej, Alina Abragimova, Anne Sophie von Otter, the Juilliard Quartet, Jerusalem Quartet, and many more, as well as Australian luminaries such as Piers Lane, Liwei, Brett Dean, Slava Grigoryan, Sara Macliver, Konstantin Shamray, Fiona Campbell, Marshall Maguire and Andrew Goodwin. 

With postgraduate degrees from the Juilliard School in New York, London University and Canterbury University, NZ, Rachel was one of the last students to study with the legendary Alban Berg Quartet in Cologne as part of the international award winning Tankstream Quartet. 

Rachel is an enthusiastic proponent of multi-genre cello playing, and has performed with leading non-classical artists across a variety of forums from festivals to theatre to film, working with Katie Noonan, Missy Higgins, You Am I, Archie Roach, Meow Meow, Paul Capsis, among others. She has recorded award-winning albums for ABC Classics, Chandos and other labels, and currently resides in Majors Creek, NSW, with her partner, musician/composer Trent Arkleysmith, and their two adorable but slightly villainous toddlers.