Classical roots, folk heart
A classically trained violinist with an abiding love for the folk music of the Celtic and Jewish traditions.
Rachel’s musical life began at home, where her mother, Diana Amov, was her first teacher. She started at the piano and took up the violin at six, and it has been her constant companion ever since.
Musical beginnings
A Classical Foundation
Years of classical study gave Rachel her technical command and an ear finely attuned to nuance, and that discipline still shapes every phrase she plays.
Yet it was performing folk music that truly captured her heart. The melodies of the Celtic and Jewish traditions, carrying centuries of dancing, mourning and celebration, revealed a freer and more expressive side of the violin, one she has pursued ever since.
Performing history
Faires, Festivals and Faerie Folk
The Strange Woods
Rachel’s first professional folk band steeped its music in faerie lore and became a familiar presence at Renaissance Faires and Faerie Festivals. During those years she also stepped in with The Electrocarpathians whenever they needed a second violinist or a substitute.
Glancing Love and Enchanted Realms
Later ensembles carried that mystical spirit further, setting Rachel’s fiddle among other traditional Celtic instruments in music of an enchanting, otherworldly character. Glancing Love CDs are still available at performances and by request.
The Electrocarpathians, today
Founded in 1988, The Electrocarpathians fuse Klezmer, polka and Czardas with classic rock and Latin music. Once the band’s go-to substitute, Rachel is now a regular member, and her fiddle leads them from village dance tunes to rock anthems in a single set.
Old World Fire
At the Faire, Rachel’s Eastern European heritage found a stage of its own, where she played the wild, passionate dance music of the Old World in full costume.
Blackthorn’s Maritime Band
Rachel also lends her fiddle to the Blackthorns Maritime Band, a sea chanties, and Celtic version of The Electrocarpathians.
Beyond the Stage
Music shares Rachel’s heart with her dogs, Musetta and Dusty, and formerly with Rosin the Singing Dog, the family’s celebrated vocalist since 2016. Rosin’s singing can be heard on his YouTube channel.
