Recipient of a prestigious 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant - the only baroque artist in the respected program’s history - and Grand Prize winner of the inaugural Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition, violinist Rachell Ellen Wong is a star on both the modern and historical performance violin stages. Her reputation as one of the top historical performers of her generation has resulted in appearances across the globe, including performances with renowned early music ensembles such as The Academy of Ancient Music, Bach Collegium Japan, Les Arts Florissants, and Ensemble Jupiter, among others. Equally accomplished on the modern violin, Rachell made her first public appearance with the Philharmonia Northwest at age 11 and has since performed as a soloist with such orchestras as Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Panamá and the Seattle Symphony. Rachell made her conducting debut with the Seattle Symphony in 2020 when she directed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons from the violin. She currently serves as concertmaster for the Seattle Baroque Orchestra.
Alongside acclaimed keyboardist David Belkovski, Rachell is co-founder of Twelfth Night, a dynamic period-instrument ensemble based in NewYork City. Twelfth Night makes its Carnegie Hall debut in the 2023-24 season.
Rachell holds a Masters in Music in Historical Performance from The Juilliard School, a M.M. from Indiana University, and a B.M. from the University of Texas at Austin. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she splits her time between New York City and Seattle. Rachell performs on a baroque violin from the school of Joachim Tielke ca. 1700, and on a violin by Carlo de March made in 1953.