Today is British Baroque Violinist Rachel Podger’s Birthday!

Head of Baroque Violin at London’s Royal Academy of Music, the violinist also serves leadership roles in Baroque festivals and ensembles

Today is British Baroque violinist Rachel Podger’s birthday!

As the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation Bach Prize, she is also a Patron for the Continuo Foundation and an Ambassador for the Learned Society of Wales.

Her additional accolades include Gramophone Artist of the Year in 2018, Ambassador for REMA's Early Music Day in 2020, and the 2023 BBC Music Magazine Recording of the Year and Instrumental Award winner for her solo album Tutta Sola. 

As a creative programmer, she is the founder and Artistic Director of the Brecon Baroque Festival, Principal Guest Director for Tafelmusik for the 24-25 and 25-26 seasons, and Artist in Focus at Kings Place for 23-24.

Podger has collaborated with orchestras, ensembles, and venues worldwide including Wigmore Hall, Lincoln Center, Philharmonia Baroque, BBC Philharmonic, and more. Her upcoming collaborations include Handel and Haydn Society, her debut with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and performances at Vienna Konzerthaus, BOZAR, and Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

The Goldberg Variations Re-imagined — a new arrangement by Chad Kelly with the Brecon Baroque ensemble — will be released in Fall 2023.

A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music, Podger currently holds a professorship at the Royal Welsh College of Music and serves as Head of Baroque Violin at London’s Royal Academy of Music.

RACHEL PODGER | C.P.E. BACH | VIOLIN SONATA IN G MINOR, H. 542.5 | CHANNEL CLASSICS RECORDS | 2023