Biography

Recognised as one of the leading exponents of historical flutes, Rachel Brown is in great demand worldwide, as a soloist, orchestral player and teacher. Her recital discs of French Baroque Music and Quantz Sonatas established her reputation and her recording of virtuosic works by Schubert and Boehm on simple-system, ring-keyed and Boehm alto flutes has been described as ‘a revelation’ (Pan). Her championing of the works of the Berlin School has reawakened interest in the largely unknown masterpieces by Quantz and her recording of the CPE Bach D minor concerto was voted best by Polish radio. She has recorded Bach’s B minor Suite twice, and her rendering of Handel’s chamber music has been described as ‘perfection itself’. Her recordings of Bach Flute Sonatas and Mozart Flute Quartets are soon to be followed by a disc of Vivaldi Concertos & Arias.

Equally at home in the wind section, and described as “a ray of sunshine over the orchestra” by the New York Times, Rachel has had a long and distinguished career as an orchestral player; first, on silver flute, with the orchestra of Kent Opera and for many years as principal flute and recorder player with the Academy of Ancient Music, the Hanover Band, the Brandenburg Consort, Collegium Musicum 90 and Ex Cathedra, with whom she has recorded extensively and performed throughout Europe, North and South America, Japan, China and Australia. 

Yet it is with her dream-team, London Handel Players, that Rachel has immersed herself in the rich chamber repertoire, particularly Handel Sonatas, Trio Sonatas and aria arrangements. Their performance at the Göttingen Handel Festival was reviewed:

“What was at once captured was the pure, silky smooth and wonderfully expressive flute sound of Rachel Brown. It is not impossible that even Orpheus, in his time, considered - whoever plays the flute like this, might almost soften stones”.

Göttinger Tageblatt

A dedicated teacher and professor of historical flute at the Royal College of Music and Trinity Laban in London, Rachel has given masterclasses worldwide. She is author of The Early Flute, a practical guide (CUP) and has composed cadenzas for the new Bärenreiter edition of the Mozart Flute Concertos. A practice manual for the baroque flute is in preparation alongside a book on baroque dance for musicians, which is the fruit of her extensive collaboration with dancer Mary Collins and her violinist husband, Adrian Butterfield.

RECENT NEWS

“searingly gorgeous instrumental music...an incandescent presence”.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  BBC Music Magazine

“artistically superb, a rare and original concept brought to an admirable conclusion”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Musical Opinion*****

“searingly gorgeous instrumental music...An incandescent presence, Brown deploys her invention, and the particular qualities of the traverse flute - its sensitivity to touch and breath, its audible woodiness, its luminous colour - to create a music wholly her own…it is difficult to be prepared for how Brown keeps deepening its expression”.

Berta Joncus, BBC Music Magazine*****

“artistically superb, a rare and original concept brought to an admirable conclusion”

Robert Matthew Walker, Musical Opinion*****

“Not just the imaginative programme, but the sense that the performers are having real fun…that sense of engagement, exploration and discovery…along with a wonderful sense of style”.

Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill

“beguiling results…lovingly played…a radiant utterance beaming with joy, the melody literally bouncing along weightlessly”

Göran Forsling, Music Web International

"All in all and end-to-end pleasure"
Charlotte Gardner, Gramophone