BBC Radio 3’s Sarah Walker's praise for Rachel Carver

The host described her as a ‘young British virtuoso’.

Rachel, 24, who was brought up in Winchester, is an award-winning harpist who was the second highest placed harpist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2014.

The piece, Nocturne by Glinka, is part of Rachel’s new CD, a which features a new work by Carl Davis, entitled Psalm for Harp which gave the album its title. The CD is being sold in aid of ClientEarth, an environmental charity which uses the law to protect life on earth. Sarah Walker described the CD as ‘really lovely’.

It was recorded locally at St Nicholas’ Church in Bishop’s Sutton, which has a beautiful acoustic.

Rachel lives in Winchester and attended St Swithun’s School. She began playing the harp aged nine and at eleven, gained a place in the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain, where she was awarded a Leverhulme Scholarship for the top four auditions of any instrument.

The scholarship paid for her to have a master class from internationally renowned harpist Susan Drake, who is now her teacher. At 14, Rachel successfully auditioned for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and enjoyed two years playing with them under the baton of conductors like Vasily Petrenko and Kristjan Järvi. With these orchestras, Rachel performed at a range of concert venues from the Royal Albert Hall to the Symphony Hall in Birmingham, as well on Classic FM, Radio 3 and BBC TV for the Proms.

At Oxford University, Rachel enthusiastically participated in the musical life of the university. She was selected to be principal harpist in a range of ensembles including the Oxford University Orchestra, frequently accompanied college choirs and formed her own septet. Rachel has also had a varied solo career, playing at private events and public concerts at venues such as Osborne House and the Royal Society of Arts.

In 2014, she was the second highest placed harpist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year.