Rachel Hsieh, 21, is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, under the guidance of David Kaplan. She is a recipient of several awards, including the Ruth C. Plough Scholarship, Sophie and Pick Memorial Scholarship and the San Diego Taiwanese Cultural Association Scholarship. Over the last few years, she has also attended festivals including the Bravo! International Music Academy and the Amalfi Music and Arts Festival. She has also performed in masterclasses and taken lessons with renowned professors, including Boris Berman, Roberto Proesdda, Manchun Chen, Jeffrey Cohen, and Hong Xu.

Rachel is also musically active outside of school, frequently performing in San Diego and teaching piano locally. Upon graduation in Spring 2020, Rachel plans on pursuing graduate studies in music therapy, as she hopes to use her musical and artistic capabilities to help those in need. She also hopes to continue teaching children and spread her love for music to the younger generation. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, baking, and boxing!