Meet Our Director

Rachel Richards joined the New Horizons Orchestra in 2005 as an instrumental coach for adults in both band and orchestra. In 2006, she became the orchestra’s director/conductor. Rachel is also an orchestra director in the Appleton Area School district, as well as executive director for the Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestra program. She is passionate about teaching and promoting music to musicians of all ages.

In 2004, Rachel earned her B. A. in music education from St. Norbert College. She received the college’s Tony Winters Instrumental Music Award, which recognizes community outreach through instrumental music performance for the purpose of expanding the appreciation of music to diversified community audiences.

In 2023, Rachel was recognized as the Elementary Educator of the Year by the Mielke Family Foundation, an honor awarded to one elementary teacher in the Appleton Area School District each year.

Rachel is an active musician in the Fox Valley; she plays double bass and bassoon with various ensembles; from swing music to symphonies and everything in between. You may have heard her playing with the Civic
Symphony of Green Bay (principal bassoon), Wisconsin Symphonic Winds (bass and bassoon), Appleton City Band (bassoon), Forte and the Pianissimos (bass), and several other local ensembles.

Always seeking opportunities to learn and share, Rachel earned her M.A. in Education from Marion University in 2009 and is a member of the Wisconsin Music Education Association, National Association for Music Education, and the American String Teachers Association.