Teaching

Rachel serves on faculty as Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at St. Olaf College, and has taught there since 2019. Previous faculty appointments include Luther College in Decorah, Iowa; College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University in St. Joseph, Minnesota; Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota; Mount Calvary Academy of Music in Excelsior, Minnesota; as well as harp instructor for ten summers at Interlochen Center for the Arts summer programs in Interlochen, Michigan. In addition, Rachel has taught several summers at harp retreats for adult learners in Iowa, Michigan, New York, and Georgia.

At St. Olaf College Rachel teaches applied harp lessons, theory and musicianship courses, as well as a first-year seminar course she created, called The Creative Learning Workshop. Other courses she has taught in the classroom at the college level include Music Appreciation and four semesters of Musicianship (ear training), beginning to advanced levels.

Rachel has taught in thirteen states, as well as in China, Taiwan, and Canada. She has given classes for The Royal Conservatory and University of Toronto harp studios, at Hong Kong Baptist University, and at National Chiayi University in Taiwan. She has also given master classes at University of Texas at Austin; University of Kansas; University of North Texas; The University of Michigan; The University of Minnesota; Arizona State University; Nebraska Wesleyan University; Western Illinois University; Clayton University; Lehigh University; Southwest Minnesota State University; and for The Juilliard School Pre-College Harp Studio.

Rachel enjoys participating in national and local adjudication projects. Most recently, she was on the adjudication panel for the biennial 2025 American Harp Society National Solo Competition held in Los Angeles, California, and adjudicated within the five age categories. She has adjudicated several projects for the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies in 2024 and 2025, for the AHS Minnesota Chapter and Lyra Chapter (Kansas) Scholarship Competitions in 2024 and 2025, and has judged for the Minnesota Music Teachers Association and National Federation of Music Clubs Composition Contests in 2018, 2022, and 2024.

In addition to teaching, Rachel actively supports the harp community through scholarly article and academic research. She is a frequent contributor to Harp Column, an international publication addressing pedagogical, practical, and performance-related topics for the pedal and lever harp communities. Her articles include, “Do I Have to Learn This? Meeting Challenges with Confidence, Creativity, and Courage!” (2017 issue), “Lessons Learned form Lessons Given” (2020 issue), “Creating Color: How to Use Your Technique, Awareness, and Ears to Create a Kaleidoscope of Tones” (2022 issue), “Follow the Signs” (2024 issue), and “A Harpist’s Almanac of Sacred Music” (2025 issue).

Performing

Touring as a soloist, orchestral harpist, and chamber musician, Rachel has performed in 30 states and internationally. She has performed in these capacities internationally in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou, China. She has also performed in Chiayi, Taiwan; in Dublin, Ireland; and in Toronto, Canada.

As a soloist, Rachel has won first prizes in regional, national, and international solo competitions sponsored by the American Harp Society, the American String Teachers Association, and Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Fraternity. She won the 2014 Mu Phi Epsilon International Solo Competition and served as Concert Artist for two years while performing and offering outreach presentations throughout the continental United States. She has presented numerous solo concerts on concert series around the country as well.

As an orchestral harpist, Rachel performs frequently with the Minnesota Orchestra with conductors such as Osmo Vänskä, Thomas Søndergård, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Fabien Gabel, David Afkham, Yan Pascal Tortelier, and Mark Wigglesworth. In 2018 Rachel performed Ennanga, a solo harp concerto by William Grant Still, while touring the midwest as a featured faculty member with the Luther College Symphony Orchestra. In 2020 she performed Danse sacrée et danse profane by Claude Debussy with the same ensemble.

As a chamber musician, Rachel has performed with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. She embarked on a nine-state, fifteen-concert tour with Trio Matisse (flute, cello, harp) as part of the Allied Concert Services Tours in 2013. She frequently performs with various ensembles throughout the United States, including the National Lutheran Choir. She debuted in Hong Kong and Chiayi, Taiwan, with flutist Linda Chatterton in 2016. That same year, she gave a concert in New York City with Linda and pianist Aristo Sham sponsored by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, comprised of music by Hong Kong composers for piano, flute, and harp. Linda and Rachel completed a tour of the Midwest in 2018, and also a tour of Minnesota State in 2022 as a result of having received a Minnesota State Arts Board grant. She enjoys performing in concert with many local ensembles around Minnesota, including the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, The Singers, and the Minnesota Symphonic Winds Ensemble. Rachel toured Minnesota and California with the St. Olaf Band in 2020.

As an active member of the American Harp Society Rachel has performed in several National Institutes and Conferences in various capacities. In 2014, she presented a full concert of her original compositions at the National Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2017, she served as harpist-composer mentor for the Young Composers Project events at the National Institute. In 2019, she and her duo partner with whom she concertizes, organist Aaron David Miller, were invited to present a concert of original and arranged works in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as well as co-present a workshop about harp and organ literature. Most recently in 2022, they presented a new program of their compositions in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, including a commissioned work by harpist-composer Amy Nam.

As an active performer within her St. Olaf College community, Rachel enjoys giving faculty concerts (2019, 2024, and 2025) as well as performing in concert with the Manitou Singers (2022, 2025).

Composing

In 2013 Rachel was awarded the top prize in the Mu Phi Epsilon Original Composition Contest for her work for harp solo, Introduction, Theme, & Variations. In 2014, she was awarded a commission grant from the American Harp Society to write a work for Apple Orange Pair (horn and harp) and in 2015 she completed a residency as a composer with the duo at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute. The same work written for them, Suite de Nature, received the top prize in the 2015 Original Composition Contest sponsored by Mu Phi Epsilon. Since its premiere in 2015, it has been performed with horn, trombone, and flute. Her compositions received the ARCH Awards for original harp solos from the AHS Minnesota Chapter in 2013 and 2015.

She completed two works for organ and harp which were commissioned by the House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. They were premiered on their Chamber Music Concert Series in 2017 and 2020 with organist Aaron David Miller.

Rachel co-presented a composition master class workshop with composer Dr. Libby Larsen during the Young Composers Project at the 2017 AHS National Institute. She also shared a concert with featured student composers, which included her performance of her original composition, The Pattern Wheel: Suite for Harp Solo. In 2018 Rachel completed a commission grant for harp ensemble, called the square spinning orbit, funded by the American Harp Society. Her compositions have been performed at venues such as the University of Michigan, University of Indiana, University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, University of Minnesota, Kansas State University, Sacramento State University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, National Chiayi University in Taiwan, and at Interlochen Arts Camp. 

Rachel is a Harp Column Artist and her compositions can be found at: https://harpcolumn.com/music/ and at: https://www.rachelbrandwein.com/store

Community Enrichment

Rachel is an active volunteer within several organizations, serving as a board and committee member. Since 2013, she has served on the board for Mount Calvary Academy of Music in Excelsior, Minnesota. Since 2017, she has served on the committee of the American Harp Society Young Composer’s Project, culminating with biennial events and concerts at AHS Institutes. She also enjoys serving on the Minnesota Chapter board of the AHS in various capacities and has formerly served as Vice-President for four years. Rachel is currently President during the 2024-2026 chapter seasons.

Sharing music within different communities is important to Rachel, and since 2016 she has enjoyed bringing harp music and education several times a year to numerous Assisted Living Communities around the Twin Cities as part of their Active Life events. Her programs consist of a wide variety of music, and incorporate community engagement within an interactive presentation style. She also highly values participating in worship services as part of her music ministry.

Education

Rachel earned degrees from the University of Michigan (BM), The Juilliard School (MM), and Stony Brook University (DMA). She also studied harp and French for one year in Paris and Lyon, France. After performing at her doctoral commencement, she was awarded a prestigious Ackerman Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies for high accomplishment in performance and pedagogy. Rachel’s goal as an educator is to help her students appreciate and fulfill their potential with confidence, creativity, and courage.