Rachel Naomi Kudo, first prize winner of the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig, captivates audiences worldwide with her “heartfelt, courageous, and flawless playing” (Lübecker Nachrichten). Hailed as a “thrilling” artist of “exceptional artistic merit and meticulous precision,” Rachel’s performances are a powerful testament to her profound artistry and deep musical insight.

About

Since her debut with the Chicago and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras, Rachel has graced stages across the globe. Highlights of her distinguished career include solo and chamber performances at iconic venues such as Bachfest Leipzig, the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Salle Cortot in Paris, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the International Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdrój, the Tivoli International Festival in Denmark, the Bergen International Festival in Norway, as well as Washington, D.C.'s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and New York's Alice Tully Hall, David Geffen Hall, and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.


Rachel’s accolades reflect her dedication and excellence in the field. She is the recipient of the Gilmore Young Artist Award, a Davidson Fellow Laureate, and a Salon de Virtuosi Grant winner. Her talents have been recognized through the National YoungArts Foundation and Rohm Music Foundation scholarships. She has also garnered top prizes at the U.S. National Chopin Competition in Miami and was a finalist at the 15th International Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

Born in Washington, D.C., to Japanese-Korean parents, Rachel began her musical studies at age four with Emilio del Rosario at the Music Institute of Chicago. After spending her early years in Japan, she returned to the U.S., where she pursued her passion for chamber music and played violin in her high school orchestra. She was a featured performer on NPR’s From the Top and later studied with Kum-Sing Lee in Vancouver, Canada.

Rachel earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Yoheved Kaplinsky and Joseph Kalichstein. Her many honors include the Arthur Rubinstein Prize, the Chopin Prize, the Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship, and the Sanders/Tel Aviv Art Museum Prize. A two-time first-prize winner of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition at Juilliard, she furthered her education with a Professional Studies Diploma under Richard Goode at Mannes College of Music. She completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree with Gilbert Kalish at Stony Brook University and studied with Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

Rachel has experienced master classes led by luminaries such as Robert Levin, Emanuel Ax, and Sir András Schiff at Carnegie Hall’s Professional Training Workshops. She has expanded her artistic reach through programs including the Aspen Music Festival and School, Juilliard ChamberFest, the International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove, Music@Menlo, the Perlman Music Program’s Chamber Music Workshop, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s "Chamber Music Encounters."



A passionate advocate for the transformative power of music, Rachel is deeply committed to fostering cultural engagement and human connection through her performances and teaching. Dedicated to mentoring young musicians, she has led master classes worldwide and served as a live-stream host for the Eighteenth International Chopin Competition in Warsaw and the U.S. National Chopin and Cliburn Junior International Piano Competitions. In February 2021, she premiered Marc-André Hamelin’s Suite à l'ancienne, commissioned by the Gilmore Piano Festival, in a Virtual Special Event. In January 2025, she served as a jury member for the 11th National Chopin Piano Competition of the United States.