Rachel Barton Pine

Rachel Barton Pine
Pine performing at the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C. in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Rachel Elizabeth Barton
Born	(1974-10-11) October 11, 1974 (age 42)
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres	Classical Baroque Heavy metal
Occupation(s)	Violinist NPO administrator
Instruments	Violin Electric violin Baroque violin Viola d'amore Rebec Renaissance violin
Years active	1981-present
Labels	Cedille Records Dorian Recordings Warner Classics Avie Records Hyperion Records Hänssler Classic Naxos Records
Associated acts	Trio Settecento Earthen Grave
Website	rachelbartonpine.com

Rachel Barton Pine (born Rachel Elizabeth Barton, October 11, 1974) is an American violinist. She debuted with the Chicago Symphony at age 10, and was the first American and youngest ever gold medal winner of the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition. The Washington Post wrote that she "displays a power and confidence that puts her in the top echelon."

Pine tours worldwide as a soloist with prestigious orchestras, has an active recording career, and has run The Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation since 2001 which provides services and funding to promote classical music education and performances.

Pine was born in Chicago, and began playing the violin at age 3 after being inspired by the example of older girls playing at her church. She debuted with the Chicago String Ensemble at age 7, and with the Chicago Symphony under the baton of Erich Leinsdorf at age 10. Her passion for violin compelled her to practice 4 or 5 hours a day as a second grader, prompting her elementary school principal to encourage her parents to begin home schooling, which allowed her to focus on her music, practicing 8 hours a day. Her principal teachers were Roland and Almita Vamos of the Music Institute of Chicago. At age 14, she began taking paid gigs playing at weddings and in orchestras, which allowed her to contribute significantly to her family’s income as they experienced financial difficulties. Explaining how she managed, she says, "I put on a lot of makeup and pretended I was older than I was."

She attained notable success in a number of violin competitions, including winning the 1992 Johann Sebastian Bach International Competition in Leipzig, Germany. She also earned 2nd prizes in the József Szigeti Violin Competition (1992) and the International Fritz Kreisler Competition (1992), as well as awards from the Montreal International Musical Competition (1991), the Paganini Competition (1993), and the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (1993).