Rachel Smith

Rachel Smith  DMA, MA, BMus, FTCL, studied at Royal Holloway, University of London and the Royal Northern College of Music, completing her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Salford, Manchester in 2013. She is currently principal flute of the Band of the Coldstream Guards, with whom she has performed numerous solos and toured worldwide across Europe, Japan and the USA. Recent highlights include her solo performances at the Royal Albert Hall Gubbay Christmas Classics Concerts.

Her extensive freelance career encompasses concerto, chamber music, and orchestral work throughout the UK and internationally. She has performed in West End theatres, with contemporary music ensembles, and regularly appears with London Festival Opera. With her flute and piano duo and the Hilser Flute Cello Piano Trio, she has performed across the UK and as guest artists on various cruise ships. In August 2025, her flute quartet performed at the prestigious NFA Flute 2025 Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rachel’s playing has inspired new works from several British composers, featured on her debut CD Summer was in August. Her discography includes The World of the Flute (Polyphonic label), Songs without Words (Fentone Records), and Aquarelles (3R label). She recently collaborated with composer Martin Ellerby and harpist Eira Lynn Jones on the CD Voyages, with additional recording projects scheduled for late 2025.

As an educator, Rachel teaches flute privately in London and conducts masterclasses and workshops across the UK. She serves as a part-time lecturer at London College of Music and has examined for Trinity College. Beyond music, she is a qualified Mindfulness Coach, life coach, mentor, and yoga instructor—disciplines that complement her holistic approach to musical artistry.