Born in Belgium, Rachel Heymans first studied the recorder and chamber music at the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles under Frédéric de Roos, Laura Pok and Tomma Wessel. She continued her studies with Gerd Lünenbürger (UdK Berlin) und Antonio Politano (HMu Lausanne) specialising in contemporary music written for recorder.

Her enthusiasm for discovering new repertoire and her interest in (very) early music led her to the medieval recorder class of Corina Marti at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland, from which she graduated with first class honours.

During her studies in Basel she fell in love with the sound of the Baroque oboe and took the opportunity to study for yet another Master with Katharina Arfken (Schola Cantorum Basiliensis). Afterwards she broadened her experience in Brussels in Benoit Laurent’s oboe class focusing more on music from the classical and romantic eras, thus obtaining her final music degree in 2019.

Rachel is a widely interested, curious and enthusiastic musician: she greatly enjoys playing music from the entire spectrum of the repertoire written for both her instruments (and their families). As well as giving solo recitals and chamber music concerts, she frequently plays in ensembles and orchestras, interpreting medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary music on period instruments (see “Ensembles”). She has performed all over Europe with celebrated orchestras and conductors such as Vaklav Luks, Leonardo Garcia Alarcon, Peter Van Heyghen and les Mufatti, Capriccio Barockorchester Basel, Les Passions de l'Âme, the Ensemble La Fontaine, with the Collegium Vocale Academy under Philippe Herreweghe, with the Desdner Barockorchester and the Freiburger Barockorchester.

A significant part of Rachel’s musical life is sharing her love of music making with younger and older students. She teaches at masterclasses (“Rencontres musicales vosgiennes”) and at the Musikschule Dornach.

It is very important to Rachel to bring early music to a wider audience by producing shows which combine music on period instruments and theatre (see “Shows”).