Born in West Sussex, Rachel began composing at the age of 14 and read music at the University of Oxford, where she became interested in writing music for student films and theatre productions. She gained experience writing music for drama in BBC and Channel 4 films, including ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT, Mike Leigh's FOUR DAYS IN JULY, and Jim Henson's STORYTELLER series.
Rachel is currently collaborating with three-time Emmy nominated composer Jon Ehrlich on the Hulu Holocaust drama WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES.
Rachel became the first female composer to win an Academy Award, which she received for the score of EMMA. She was also the first female composer to win a Primetime Emmy Award, which she received for the film BESSIE. In 2023 she received her second Primetime Emmy Award for JULIA. She has received two further Academy Nominations for THE CIDER HOUSE RULES and CHOCOLAT, which also earned her a Golden Globe Nomination.
She has scored over a hundred films including THE DUCHESS, CHOCOLAT, OLIVER TWIST, ONE DAY, BELOVED, THE VOW, GODMOTHERED, LIFE IS SWEET, and THEIR FINEST.
Rachel has also written several concert and stage commissions including a musical of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, and an opera of Saint Exupery's, THE LITTLE PRINCE for Houston Grand Opera.
For the BBC Proms, she wrote THE WATER DIVINER, a dramatic choral symphony. She also wrote “Endangered,” performed at the World Environment Day Concert, at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing, Earth Song for the BBC Singers, and for Joyce Di Donato, The First Morning of the World as part of her “Eden” programme. Other recent works include “Tipping Points,” a violin concerto performed by Niklas Leipe with WDR Orchestra Germany.
Rachel released a solo piano album “Ask The River” in 2020 and in 2023 an album “Beyond the Screen – Film Works on Piano” which features some of her most cherished film music for solo piano. Given an OBE in 2010, Rachel is an honorary fellow of Worcester College, Oxford, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Music.
Rachel has written over 100 scores for film, television and theatre, including Manchurian Candidate (Jonathan Demme), Oliver Twist (Roman Polanski), Hart’s War (Greg Hoblit), Only You (Norman Jewison), The Legend of Bagger Vance (Robert Redford), Beloved (Jonathan Demme), Benny and Joon (Jeremiah Chechik), Life is Sweet (Mike Leigh), Never Let Me Go (Mark Romanek), Grey Gardens (Michael Sucsy), The Duchess (Saul Dibb), One Day (Lone Scherfig), The Vow (Michael Sucsy), Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Wayne Wang), The Lake House (Alejandro Agresti), Infamous (Douglas McGrath), Mona Lisa Smile (Mike Newell), Human Stain (Robert Benton), Chocolat (Lasse Hallstrom), Cider House Rules (Lasse Hallstrom), Belle (Amma Asante), Dolphin Tale 2 (Charles Martin Smith), Bessie (Dee Rees), and Race (Stephen Hopkins).
Rachel has written a musical of Little House on the Prairie as well as an opera of Saint Exupery's, The Little Prince for Houston Grand Opera. For the BBC Proms concerts, Rachel was commissioned to write The Water Diviner, a dramatic choral symphony. Rachel wrote an orchestral piece entitled ‘Endangered’ performed at the World Environment Day Concert, at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing.
Academy Award
Best Original Musical Comedy Score 1996 - EMMA
Primetime Emmy Award
Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Special (Original Dramatic Score) 2015 – BESSIE
BMI Film and TV Awards
BMI Career Achievement Award 2010
Academy Award Nominations
Best Original Score 2000 - CHOCOLAT
Best Original Score 1999 - THE CIDER HOUSE RULES
Bafta Award Nominations
Best Score 1991 - ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT
Best Score 1990 - THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Golden Globe Nominations
Best Original Score 2000 - CHOCOLAT
Grammy Nominations
Best Score Soundtrack Album 2001 - CHOCOLAT
Best Score Soundtrack Album 2000 - THE CIDER HOUSE RULES
Primetime Emmy Award Nominations
Outstanding Music Composition 2009 - GREY GARDENS
Outstanding Music Direction 2005 - THE LITTLE PRINCE
Muse Award
From the New York Women in Film and Television 2000
Flanders International Film Festival Award
1999 - RATCATCHER
British Film Institute Young Composer of the Year
1988