Violinist Rachel Barton Pine is celebrated as both a leading interpreter of early music and a commanding performer of the great classical and contemporary repertoire. Her playing combines an innate gift for emotional communication with a deep scholarly commitment to historical performance practice.
In the 2025–26 season, Pine’s early music engagements include serving as a juror for the International Bach Competition in Leipzig, Germany, recitals at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Bach Ascending, the National Music Museum, and Indianapolis Early Music, as well as guest clinician appearances at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and Davis High School’s Baroque Ensemble.
Her newest early music album on Cedille Records, Corelli: Violin Sonatas, Op. 5 (2024), features all twelve sonatas for violin and continuo with leading period instrument specialists John Mark Rozendaal, David Schrader, and Brandon Acker. Pine is also a frequent collaborator with harpsichordist Jory Vinikour and with Trio Settecento, her longtime Baroque ensemble with John Mark Rozendaal and David Schrader, with whom she has released several acclaimed recordings.
A champion of historically informed performance since age 14, Pine has been hailed by Gramophone as “a most accomplished Baroque violinist, fully the equal of the foremost specialists.” She also performs on the viola d’amore, Renaissance violin, and medieval rebec, and has appeared with ensembles including Apollo’s Fire, Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, Baroque Band, and Ars Antigua. She has led and play-conducted baroque concertos and orchestral repertoire with the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Columbus and Seattle symphonies, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
Pine remains the only American to win the Gold Medal at the International J.S. Bach Violin Competition in Leipzig, Germany—an honor she received at age 17, making her the youngest winner in the competition’s history.
Her solo Bach performances have been featured on Performance Today and NPR’s Tiny Desk series. She recorded the complete Sonatas and Partitas on her album Testament (Avie Records), and created RBP on JSB, an instructional video series with The Violin Channel. Her edition of the works is published by Carl Fischer.
Dedicated to fostering early music education, Pine has led masterclasses and workshops for institutions including The Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, Northwestern University’s Music Academy Strings, and the ASTA National Conference.
Pine’s baroque violin (1770) and baroque viola d’amore (1774) were made by Nicola Gagliano using wood from the same tree. Both are in their original condition.