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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.[2] The Washington Post wrote that she "displays a power and confidence that puts her in the top echelon."[3]

Pine tours worldwide as a soloist with prestigious orchestras, has an active recording career, and has run the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation since 2001, which provides services and funding to promote classical music education and performances.[4]

Early life

[edit]

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,[5] 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."[6]

She attained notable success in a number of violin competitions, including winning the 1992 Johann Sebastian Bach International Competition in Leipzig, Germany.[2] 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).[7][8]

Career

[edit]

Pine has appeared as a soloist with orchestras around the world including the Chicago, Montreal, Atlanta, Budapest, San Diego, Baltimore, St. Louis, Vienna, New Zealand, Iceland and Dallas symphonies; the Buffalo, Rochester, Royal, Calgary, Russian and New Mexico philharmonics, the Philadelphia, Louisville, Royal Scottish and Belgian National orchestras; the Mozarteum, Scottish and Israel chamber orchestras, and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic. She has performed under conductors such as Charles Dutoit, John Nelson, Zubin Mehta, Erich Leinsdorf, Neeme Järvi, Marin Alsop, Semyon Bychkov, Plácido Domingo, and José Serebrier, and with artists including Daniel Barenboim, Christoph Eschenbach, Christopher O'Reilly, Mark O'Connor, and William Warfield.

Her festival appearances include Marlboro, Ravinia, Montreal, Wolf Trap, Vail, Davos, and Salzburg's Mozartwoche at the invitation of Franz Welser-Möst.

Her premieres of pieces by living composers include "Rush" for solo violin by Augusta Read Thomas,[9] Mohammed Fairouz's "Native Informant" Sonata for Solo Violin and "Al-Andalus" Violin Concerto, and the Panamanian premiere of Panamanian composer Roque Cordero's 1962 Violin Concerto. In April 2017, Pine performed solo violin with the Phoenix Symphony under the baton of Tito Munoz debuting the Violin Concerto, "Dependent Arising" by Earl Maneein (b. 1976). Her "American Partitas" is a recital program of suites of dance movements composed for Pine by Bruce Molsky, Darol Anger, Billy Childs, and Daniel Bernard Roumain written in response to the Bach Partitas for solo violin paired with their Bach counterparts.[10]

In addition to her mixed recital programs, Pine has regularly given single evening performances of the six Bach Sonatas and Partitas,[11] the 24 Paganini Caprices,[12] and the complete Brahms Sonatas.

Pine performing in 2008

In 2015, Pine released her debut Avie Records recording Mozart: Complete Violin Concertos with one of her "musical heroes" conductor Sir Neville Marriner and The Academy of St Martin in the Fields.[13] Pine grew up listening to Sir Neville and The Academy of St Martin in the Fields' recordings and their performance on the Amadeus movie soundtrack. Studying Mozart's operas she gained an appreciation for the drama, playfulness and flirtation of his violin concertos featured on the new album.[14] The recording also contains Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, recorded with violist Matthew Lipman, a 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient.[15]

Pine started exploring esteemed violin concertos and the concertos that inspired them with Brahms and Joachim Violin Concertos, recorded with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conductor Carlos Kalmar in 2002.[16] Her 2008 Beethoven & Clement Violin Concertos, recorded with The Royal Philharmonic and conducted by Serebrier, offered the world premiere recording of Clement's D major Violin Concerto.[17]

Her 2013 recording with pianist Matthew Hagle, Violin Lullabies, debuted at number one on the Billboard classical chart.[18] Pine's recording of Violin Concertos by Black Composers of the 18th and 19th Centuries was nominated for a National Public Radio Heritage Award.[19]

Carl Fischer Music published a sheet music book in 2009 of cadenzas and virtuosic encore pieces composed by Pine, as well as her arrangements of other works for violin and piano, as part of its Masters Collection. Pine became the first living composer and first woman to be so honored.[20] Pine has also edited a 4-volume collection of compositions associated with America's pioneering female solo violinist Maud Powell,[21][22] many of which she has also recorded.[23] In 2014. Pine helped to accept a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award on behalf of Maud Powell, after successfully campaigning the Recording Academy for the honor.[24]

Her musical interests extend well beyond classical to baroque, folk, Celtic, rock, and jazz. She regularly instructs at Mark O'Connor's annual summer fiddle camp, and in 2004 she released a CD in collaboration with Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser. She has also served as faculty at the Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp.

Pine performs chamber music as part of Trio Settecento with David Schrader and John Mark Rozendaal, and with the Jupiter Chamber Players. In 2015, Trio Settecento released Veracini's Complete Sonate Accademiche for Violin and Continuo.[25] The Trio's Grand Tour collection of four CDs on Cedille Records takes listeners on a country-by-country of the European Baroque.

Her principal instrument is the 1742 'ex-Bazzini, Soldat' violin of Guarneri del Gesu. For seventeenth- and eighteenth-century pieces, she has often used an unaltered 1770 instrument of Nicolò Gagliano I.[26]

Her taste in rock runs to heavy metal, with AC/DC, Anthrax, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Megadeth, Metallica, Motörhead, Pantera, Slayer, and Van Halen being among her favorites.[7][27] She has met and played with a number of these groups. In 1997, she released a heavy-metal-inspired recording. "In practicing and preparing those songs, I discovered that a lot of the heavy metal I'd been listening to was some of the most sophisticated compositionally of all rock music, and very inspired by classical music," Pine has said, "Then all these people in ripped jeans started coming to my concerts."[5]

In February 2009, she joined the thrash/doom metal band Earthen Grave, where she performs on a six-string Viper electric violin. The band has shared the stage with metal bands such as Pentagram, Black Label Society, Mayhem, and Nachtmystium. The group released an EP, Dismal Times.[28] Doommantia.com proclaimed that Earthen Grave has "all the songwriting capabilities to make one of the best albums ever."[29] and HellrideMusic.com said "If the doom gods are with us, this band will stay around and continue to produce the kind of unique, powerful and thoughtful music contained on Dismal Times."[30] Pine credits her experience playing in a rock band with improving her emotional rapport with her audiences.[31]

Pine often brings a new twist to her coaching sessions with chamber music and youth orchestras, by incorporating orchestral versions of rock pieces into her sessions. For example, Pine offered the world premiere of her own arrangement of Metallica's "Master of Puppets" with the McHenry County Youth Symphony (Crystal Lake, IL) in November 2009. In May 2015, she premiered her "Shredding with the Symphony" program with the Lafayette Symphony, which features music from Shostakovich, Bruch, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Sibelius, and Paganini as well as Van Halen, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Rush, Nirvana, Metallica and Led Zeppelin.[32]

Bill McGlaughlin called her a "musical Pac-Man" for her ability to take in and perform so many different kinds of music.[33] She has often performed at schools and on rock music radio stations in an effort to interest younger audiences in classical music.

Pine was inducted as an honorary member of Sigma Alpha Iota in 2003.[8] She performed at the music fraternity's 45th national convention during summer 2009 in Chicago.

On July 11, 2010, Pine gave a three-part performance at Chicago's Millennium Park as part of the Great Performers of Illinois celebration. After initially performing on baroque violin with Trio Settecento, she soloed in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and then switched gears again to perform in black leather on her electric violin with Earthen Grave. In conjunction with the event, she received the 2010 Great Performer of Illinois award.[34][35]

In 2010, Pine participated in a tribute album titled Mister Bolin's Late Night Revival, a compilation of 17 previously unreleased tracks written by guitar legend Tommy Bolin prior to his death in 1976. The CD includes other artists such as HiFi Superstar, Doogie White, Eric Martin, Troy Luccketta, Jeff Pilson, Randy Jackson, Rex Carroll, Derek St. Holmes, Kimberley Dahme, and The 77's. A percentage of the proceeds from this project will benefit the Jackson Recovery Centers.[36]

Rachel Barton Pine Foundation

[edit]

Pine started a foundation in 2001 to promote the study and appreciation of classical music, including string music by black composers such as Jessie Montgomery, Edward W. Hardy, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson and Wynton Marsalis.[37] It prepares music curricula on black composers, loans high-quality instruments to deserving young musicians, and provides grants to cover incidental expenses (such as for supplemental lessons, accompanists, sheet music, travel, competition entrance fees, instrument repair, and audition recordings) of students and young professional musicians. Another program, Global HeartStrings, is dedicated to supporting aspiring classical musicians from developing countries.[38] In this effort, Barton Pine has been aided by a younger sister, Hannah Barton, also a violinist.[39]

In 2006, after being nominated by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Barton Pine received the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award for her work through the foundation.[40] She has also been given the 2012 Karl Haas Prize for Music Education for this work and her other education-related efforts.[41]

A Stradivarius violin, the 'Arkwright Lady Rebecca Sylvan', was donated to the foundation by Joseph Sylvan in 2015.[42][43]

Metra accident

[edit]

On January 16, 1995, Pine was severely injured in a train accident in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, where she taught violin lessons.[2][44][45][46][47] As she was exiting a Metra commuter train with her violin over her shoulder, the doors closed on the strap to her case, pinning her left shoulder to the train. The doors, which were controlled remotely and had no safety sensors, failed to reopen, and she was dragged 366 feet (112 meters) by the train before being pulled underneath and run over, one leg severed and the other mangled. She was saved by the prompt application of tourniquets by several passengers who disembarked from the train after pulling its emergency brake handles.[44]

Pine sued Metra and the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company for compensation for her injuries and legal and medical expenses. Metra argued that she made the choice not to extricate her arm from the strap of the violin case out of regard for the instrument, a 400-year-old Amati valued at around $500,000, and thus she carried most of the blame for her injuries. The jury ruled in Pine's favor.[45] Metra changed its conductor safety procedures following the incident and made other changes to the trains themselves.

Daniel Barenboim, the conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, organized a benefit concert and raised over $75,000 after she was injured.[44] After a two-year hiatus to allow for recovery from her injuries, aided by numerous surgeries and physical therapy, Pine resumed her career.[2]

Personal life

[edit]

In 2004,[48] Barton married Greg Pine, a health care consulting firm CEO and former minor league baseball pitcher.[49] They have one daughter, Sylvia, who is also an accomplished violinist and composer, and sometimes performs with her mother.

Discography

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Rachel Barton Pine

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Rachel Barton Pine (born October 11, 1974) is an American violinist renowned for her virtuosic performances of classical masterworks, repertoire, and contemporary compositions, including pioneering recordings of music by composers. Born in to a financially struggling family, Pine began studying at age three and gave her first recital at five. Her family faced significant hardships, including poverty and an unemployed father, often relying on thrift store clothes for her early performances and using makeshift furniture from grocery crates. Despite these challenges, she performed with a professional orchestra at age seven and made her debut with the at age ten, marking her emergence as a . Pine's competitive career launched her to international prominence; at age 17, she became the youngest and first American winner of the gold medal at the 1992 J.S. Bach International Competition in , . She also earned prizes at prestigious events, including the Queen Elisabeth International Competition (1993), the Paganini International Competition (1993), the International Competition (1992), the József Szigeti Competition (1992), and the International Competition (1991). These achievements led to solo engagements with major orchestras such as the , , and Symphonies, as well as collaborations with conductors including and . As a recording artist, Pine has released over 40 albums, with 25 on Cedille Records, including landmark projects like her 1997 recording of violin concertos by composers from the 18th and 19th centuries and a complete traversal of J.S. Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for solo . Her repertoire spans and to modern works, performed on instruments such as her primary 1742 Guarnerius del Gesù (on loan) and period instruments like the by Nicola Gagliano and the . Notable recent releases include the 25th-anniversary edition of Violin Concertos by Composers Through the Centuries (2022) and Vivaldi: The Complete Concertos (2015). In addition to her performing career, Pine is a dedicated educator and philanthropist; she founded the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation in 2001 to support emerging classical musicians through grants, instrument loans, and educational programs. The foundation's initiatives include the Global HeartStrings program, which provides instruments, music, and supplies to aspiring musicians in developing countries, and the Music by Black Composers project, which has cataloged more than 900 works by composers since 2001. She serves as president of Music by Black Composers, an anti-racist organization promoting diversity in . In her 2025–26 season, Pine performed Mendelssohn's with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de and gave the world premiere of a by Syrian-American composer . Residing in with her husband Greg and daughter Sylvia, Pine continues to bridge historical and contemporary traditions while advocating for accessibility in .

Early Life and Education

Childhood and Family Background

Rachel Barton Pine was born Rachel Elizabeth Barton on October 11, 1974, in Chicago, Illinois. She grew up in a working-class family grappling with financial instability in Chicago's urban landscape. Her father, Terry Barton, held a degree from the but struggled with unsuccessful business ventures, often leaving the household without steady income. Her mother, Amy Barton, also a graduate, managed the home and eventually home-schooled Rachel along with her two younger sisters, Sarah (born 1977) and Hannah (born 1986), to support the family's needs amid economic pressures. The family's modest circumstances included frequent utility shutoffs, reliance on space heaters for warmth, and shopping for essentials like concert attire at thrift stores. From an early age, Pine was immersed in Chicago's vibrant cultural scene, which exposed her to a range of musical influences beyond her eventual classical focus. Her parents regularly played records at home, cultivating an early appreciation for American vernacular music in the household. At three years old, during a service at St. Paul's , she witnessed schoolgirls performing Bach on , prompting her to stand in the pew and exclaim to her mother, "I want to do that!"—an encounter that sparked her initial fascination with the instrument. In her pre-teen years, Pine's interests extended to rock and heavy metal, genres she embraced enthusiastically and which contrasted with the classical path she would pursue, highlighting the eclectic sounds of her environment. Despite these challenges and diverse influences, her family's encouragement within their limited means laid the groundwork for her musical development.

Musical Beginnings and Training

Rachel Barton Pine's fascination with the began at age three when she observed middle-school-aged girls performing on the instrument during a in , prompting her to start lessons shortly thereafter. By age four, she was already performing publicly, marking the onset of her dedicated pursuit of the despite her family's modest circumstances. Her initial training involved local instructors in the area, where she progressed through foundational techniques, including etudes by Franz Wohlfahrt, completing significant portions within her first year of study. At age ten, Pine advanced to more intensive instruction under the guidance of and Almita Vamos at the Music Institute of Chicago, who became her principal teachers and shaped her technical and interpretive skills over the next several years. The Vamoses emphasized a comprehensive approach to violin playing, including double-stop techniques and expressive phrasing, which Pine credits with profoundly influencing her development. Concurrently, her family opted for from onward to accommodate her rigorous schedule, allowing her to immerse herself in musical education without the constraints of traditional schooling. During the 1980s, she participated in Chicago's youth music programs, including the Chicago Civic Orchestra starting just before age twelve, where she gained experience under notable conductors. Pine's early development was characterized by intense practice routines, beginning with four to five hours daily as a second grader and escalating to eight hours per day between ages eleven and seventeen, a she maintained consistently, even on holidays, until completing formal training at seventeen. These sessions focused on building across styles, from to Romantic, while honing precision and musicality. Growing up in a financially struggling household, she faced hardships such as limited access to resources, which her family mitigated through determination and eventual paid engagements starting at age fourteen, underscoring her talent's emergence without significant privilege.

Professional Career

Early Achievements and Competitions

At age 10, Rachel Barton Pine made her professional orchestral debut with the in 1985, performing as the winner of the inaugural Young Performers in a televised broadcast conducted by . This early milestone, built on her intensive self-directed training, showcased her prodigious talent and marked her entry into the professional scene. During her teenage years, Pine actively competed in national and international youth contests, honing her skills through rigorous performances of and Romantic repertoire. In 1990, at age 15, she earned the bronze medal at the Stulberg International String Competition in , demonstrating her technical precision and interpretive depth. These experiences provided essential platforms for exposure and refinement before her transition to senior-level international events. Pine's breakthrough came in the early with a series of accolades from prestigious European and North American competitions. She received a prize at the International Musical Competition in 1991, followed by second-place honors at both the International Competition in and the József Szigeti Memorial Competition in in 1992. That same year, at age 17, she achieved a historic victory by winning the gold medal at the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in , —becoming the youngest winner in its history and the first American to do so—after performing Bach's from No. 2 and other solo works with exceptional fidelity to the composer's style. These triumphs solidified her reputation as a rising specializing in Bach and established her as a formidable presence on the global stage.

Major Performances and Collaborations

Rachel Barton Pine has performed as a soloist with numerous prestigious orchestras worldwide, including the , , , , and Orchestra. Her appearances span major American ensembles and international groups, reflecting her global reach through tours in , , and during the 1990s and 2010s. For instance, in the 2011-2012 season, she collaborated with Brazil's Orquestra Filarmônica de Minas Gerais, Poland's Beethoven Academy Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Throughout her career, Pine has partnered with acclaimed conductors such as , , , , , Semyon Bychkov, and Stéphane Denève, often featuring staple violin repertoire like the and . These collaborations highlight her versatility across romantic and post-romantic works, with performances that emphasize technical precision and expressive depth. A notable example includes her work with Alsop on Prokofiev's , which she delivered with the in 2021 on just 3.5 hours' notice, substituting for Midori at the and earning praise for her poised execution under pressure. In recent years, Pine has focused on championing underrepresented composers through live premieres and revivals. During her 2024-2025 season, she presented the premiere of José White's in at Ravinia, conducted by Jonathan Rush, continuing her long-standing advocacy for the Afro-Cuban composer's technically demanding work, which she first recorded in 1997. She also gave the world premiere of Harry Stafylakis's with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, showcasing her commitment to contemporary American music. In the 2025-2026 season, Pine performed the Mendelssohn with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de on October 31 and November 2, 2025, gave the world premiere of Malek Jandali's No. 2 with the Chamber Orchestra at Summermusik on August 2, 2025, and is scheduled to perform the Glazunov with the Newport in January 2026. Complementing her modern repertoire, Pine actively explores on period instruments, performing and works with ensembles like Trio Settecento and coaching high school period instrument ; she has served as Ensemble Director at the and collaborated with groups such as Apollo's and the on , , and other historical instruments.

Recordings and Discography

Rachel Barton Pine has released over 40 recordings, with 25 on Cedille Records and others on labels including Avie, Dorian, and , showcasing her versatility across classical repertoire from to contemporary works. Her discography emphasizes historically informed performances, arrangements blending genres, and advocacy for underrepresented composers, often featuring her original cadenzas and editions. Among her major releases, the 2015 album Mozart: Complete Violin Concertos on Avie Records presents all five of Mozart's concertos alongside the for and viola, performed with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner and violist Matthew Lipman. This debut for Avie highlights Pine's technical precision and interpretive depth in Classical-era works. Earlier, her 2013 Cedille recording Violin Lullabies, featuring 25 pieces for and piano with Matthew Hagle, debuted at number one on the Classical chart, drawing from diverse traditions to celebrate themes of parenthood. Pine's commitment to amplifying Black composers is evident in Violin Concertos by Black Composers of the 18th and 19th Centuries (1997, Dorian; reissued 2022 on Cedille as a 25th-anniversary edition), which includes works by Joseph Bologne, , and others, nominated for an Heritage Award. More recent efforts include the 2023 Cedille album Dependent Arising, her 26th for the label, pairing the Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 with a world-premiere recording of Maneein's concerto Dependent Arising that fuses heavy metal riffs with classical structures, performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In 2024, Cedille released Corelli: Violin Sonatas, Op. 5, a two-disc set of sonatas performed on period instruments with collaborators David Schrader (), John Mark Rozendaal (), and Brandon Acker (), underscoring Pine's expertise in . In 2025, Cedille released French Impressions: Chamber Music by Chausson & Tailleferre, featuring works for , , and performed with Orion Weiss and the Pacifica Quartet. Thematically, Pine's recordings often explore Baroque music on original instruments, as in her complete Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin (Testament, 2016, Cedille) and various Vivaldi and Veracini works, prioritizing authentic timbre and ornamentation. Her arrangements incorporate heavy metal influences, evident in Technicalities (2004, Cedille), where she transcribes Black Sabbath and Judas Priest riffs for violin, bridging rock and classical worlds. Tributes to underrepresented voices recur, such as in Blues Dialogues: Music by Black American Composers (2021, Cedille), featuring 20th-century works by Scott Joplin, William Grant Still, and Florence Price, reflecting her scholarly editions and performances of neglected scores.

Advocacy and Philanthropy

Rachel Barton Pine Foundation

The Rachel Barton Pine Foundation was established in 2001 in by violinist Rachel Barton Pine to support young string players from challenging backgrounds, providing scholarships, instruments, and other resources to underprivileged students pursuing studies. The organization's mission centers on expanding awareness and appreciation of through education, research, performances, and direct assistance to emerging artists, addressing financial barriers that Pine herself encountered early in her career. A key international initiative is the Global HeartStrings program, which provides essential supplies such as strings, rosin, reeds, and sheet music to musicians in developing countries, having distributed over $1 million in aid since its inception. Core programs include the Grants for Education and Career initiative, which offers financial aid to string players aged 10 to 29 for essential expenses such as private lessons, competition entry fees, travel to auditions, sheet music purchases, accompanist services, and instrument repairs. This program enables participation in annual scholarship competitions and other opportunities by covering costs that standard financial aid often overlooks. Complementing these grants, the Instrument Loan Program lends high-quality string instruments—from beginner models to vintage professional violins—to talented young musicians who lack access to suitable equipment, with the foundation actively soliciting donations of instruments and bows to sustain and expand the collection. Since its founding, the foundation has supported numerous students across the and beyond, providing instrument loans and grants that have enabled hundreds of young string players to advance their training and careers. It maintains partnerships with schools, orchestras, and music organizations in and nationally to identify and assist deserving recipients, fostering broader access to education. As founder and president, Rachel Barton Pine remains deeply involved in the foundation's direction, including the review and selection processes for and loans, drawing on her experiences to guide support toward those facing similar socioeconomic hurdles. In 2024, Pine received the American Prize National Arts Award recognizing her philanthropic work through the Foundation.

Diversity and Educational Initiatives

One of the cornerstone initiatives of the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation is the Music by Composers , launched in 2001 to address the historical underrepresentation of composers in education. This effort has amassed a research collection of over 900 works by more than 450 composers spanning the 18th to 21st centuries, serving as a comprehensive resource for performers, educators, and students worldwide. The provides free access to repertoire directories, including those for and and unaccompanied , enabling users to explore and program this music without cost. Additionally, it has resulted in curated publications, such as the multi-volume series of educational for —at least three volumes (with sub-volumes) featuring beginner to intermediate pieces with piano or second accompaniment, distributed through partners like Subito Music and including new editions of works originally published by Carl —with additional volumes and digital editions in development as of 2023. These resources tie directly to Pine's advocacy through her recordings of composers' concertos, which highlight overlooked and inspire further educational integration. Complementing this, the Foundation's Instrument Loan Program supplies professional-level string instruments to young, diverse students from underserved backgrounds, ranging from fine student models to rare vintage pieces that would otherwise be inaccessible due to cost. This initiative supports emerging artists by removing financial barriers to high-quality practice and performance, particularly benefiting those from communities historically excluded from opportunities. Broader efforts include workshops led by Pine at events like the Midwest Clinic, where she presents on incorporating composers' music into curricula, alongside online resources such as streaming audio examples of performed by Pine herself. Collaborations with organizations like Sphinx and the Music Institute of further amplify these initiatives through joint programs that foster inclusivity. The project's impact has been recognized with nominations, including the 1997 Heritage Award for Pine's recording of violin concertos by Black composers, and it has played a pivotal role in the 2020s surge toward diversity in classical music, influencing institutional commitments to equitable programming post-2020 social justice movements.

Personal Life

The Metra Accident

On January 16, 1995, at the age of 20, violinist Rachel Barton Pine was severely injured while exiting a commuter train at the Winnetka station in a suburb, where she was en route to teach lessons. As she disembarked, the strap of her violin case became caught in the closing train doors, dragging her 366 feet (112 m) along the platform before she managed to free herself; the train then ran over her legs, severing her left leg above the knee and mangling her right foot. Two passengers on the immediately applied tourniquets using their belts to stem the bleeding, a critical action that helped save her life until emergency services arrived. She underwent emergency followed by over 50 additional operations over the ensuing years to address the injuries and fit her for a prosthetic for the left limb, which had been amputated above the . Initial recovery involved extensive and the use of a , during which she was unable to walk or stand independently for several months. The accident caused a significant interruption to her burgeoning professional career, forcing the cancellation of numerous scheduled performances and engagements as she focused on rehabilitation. Her annual earnings plummeted from an expected $100,000 to $59,173 in 1996 and $82,343 in 1997, reflecting reduced bookings and her inability to take on physically demanding roles, such as substituting in orchestras like the Chicago Symphony. Psychologically, Pine developed (PTSD), which persisted for years and complicated her emotional recovery, though she later achieved remission through therapy. In adapting long-term, Pine learned to walk and perform using a , returning to the stage within six months to a year, including playing from a during early recovery and eventually standing for concerts. She manages ongoing challenges such as , after three hours of practice, precarious balance, and arm strain from compensating for her mobility limitations, which require her to carefully allocate energy between rehearsals and performances while avoiding consecutive high-demand events.

Family and Adaptations

Rachel Barton Pine married Pine on June 5, 2004; the couple met at church while he was a student on from . , a former and consulting firm CEO, has supported her career by traveling with her on tours. The couple has one daughter, Sylvia Pine, born in September 2011; Sylvia is also a violinist and who trains under her mother's guidance and has performed alongside her in recitals. Pine and her family reside in , where she balances an international touring schedule with daily family routines, such as taking Sylvia on the road from as young as three weeks old. In her personal interests, Pine indulges in , performing with the Chicago-based band Earthen Grave, while maintaining a focus on classical repertoire. Following a 1995 Metra train accident that resulted in the of her left above the knee and severe damage to her right foot, Pine has undergone over 50 surgeries and uses a prosthetic . She continues to receive ongoing custom fittings and for her prosthetic to support stage mobility, though chronic issues led her to begin performing seated in late for comfort and stability during concerts. These adaptations have not impaired her , allowing her to maintain her renowned style; she performs on the 1742 "ex-Bazzini, ex-Soldat" Guarnerius del Gesù , held on lifetime loan from an anonymous patron.

References

  1. https://queenelisabethcompetition.be/en/laureates/rachel-barton-pine/
  2. https://www.rachelbartonpine.com/about
  3. https://www.cedillerecords.org/artists/rachel-barton-pine/
  4. https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Barton-Pine-Rachel.htm
  5. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/from-poverty-to-prodigy-star-violinist-turns-to-other-musicians-in-need
  6. https://www.rbpfoundation.org/about/our-history/
  7. https://www.musicbyblackcomposers.org/about-us/rachel-barton-pine/
  8. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2008/03/30/comeback-kid-35/
  9. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/arts/music/years-after-a-calamity-rachel-barton-pine-prospers.html
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  16. https://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/20087/8903/
  17. https://cso.org/experience/article/19314/rachel-barton-pine-champions-jose-whites-viol
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  22. https://www.srsymphony.org/people/rachel-barton-pine/
  23. https://chicagoclassicalreview.com/2021/07/a-superb-violinist-sub-and-a-compelling-montgomery-work-spark-alsop-and-cso-at-ravinia/
  24. https://www.avie-records.com/artists/rachel-barton-pine/
  25. https://www.avie-records.com/rbpmozart/
  26. https://www.cedillerecords.org/albums/violin-concertos-by-black-composers-through-the-centuries-25th-anniversary-edition/
  27. https://www.cedillerecords.org/albums/dependent-arising/
  28. https://www.cedillerecords.org/albums/corelli-violin-sonatas-op-5/
  29. https://www.cedillerecords.org/albums/french-impressions/
  30. https://www.cedillerecords.org/take-5-rachel-barton-pine-part-2/
  31. https://madisonsymphony.org/rachel-barton-pine-foundation-receives-award/
  32. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/01-0613278
  33. https://www.rbpfoundation.org/
  34. https://www.rbpfoundation.org/grants/
  35. https://www.rbpfoundation.org/grants/applying-for-a-grant/
  36. https://www.rbpfoundation.org/instrument-loans/
  37. https://www.rbpfoundation.org/instrument-loans/donating-instrument-bow/
  38. https://madisonsymphony.org/19-20-artist-story-rachel-barton-pine-overcomes-adversity/
  39. https://www.facebook.com/rachelbartonpinefoundation/
  40. https://www.rbpfoundation.org/about/our-founder-rachel-barton-pine/
  41. https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/artists/8764/rachel-barton-pine
  42. http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2024/07/pine.html
  43. https://internationalmusician.org/free-directory-of-classical-repertoire-by-black-composers-recently-launched/
  44. https://www.musicbyblackcomposers.org/sheet-music/repertoire-directories/repertoire-violin-orchestra/
  45. https://www.musicbyblackcomposers.org/sheet-music/violin-volumes/
  46. https://www.npr.org/2019/01/01/680740275/rachel-barton-pine-music-by-black-composers-blues-dialogues
  47. https://www.midwestclinic.org/2025_clinician_Rachel_Barton_Pine
  48. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDYNzxembXM
  49. https://madisonsymphony.org/rachel-barton-pine-foundation-spotlight/
  50. https://www.cnn.com/2016/04/13/health/turning-points-rachel-barton-pine
  51. https://www.pjstar.com/story/entertainment/local/2016/09/08/a-fascination-that-began-at/25488261007/
  52. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2008/09/26/violinist-rachel-barton-pine/647/
  53. https://www.deseret.com/2004/10/10/19854758/violinist-on-a-quest-to-spread-classics/
  54. https://www.chicagotribune.com/1999/02/23/barton-says-career-has-suffered/
  55. https://classicchicagomagazine.com/rachel-barton-pine-and-protegee/
  56. https://www.thestrad.com/playing-hub/rachel-barton-pine-on-juggling-motherhood-with-a-career-as-a-solo-violinist/12093.article
  57. https://cyso.org/blog/student-feature-violinist-composer-sylvia-pine/
  58. https://www.wfmt.com/2025/05/12/rachel-barton-pine-violin-and-sylvia-pine-violin-with-matthew-hagle-piano/
  59. https://internationalmusician.org/rachel-barton-pine/
  60. https://www.classical-music.com/features/artists/rachel-barton-pine
  61. https://theviolinchannel.com/violinist-rachel-barton-pine-begins-to-perform-seated/
  62. https://www.rachelbartonpine.com/rachel-violins/rachels-violin
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