Rachel Wolz is a saxophonist from Channahon, Illinois. She is a recipient of the Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship and a participant in the Gluck Fellow Program at UCLA. 

As a performer, Rachel is a member of the Funk Sauce Brass Band, a band that covers pop, rock, and New Orleans styles of music. Based in Peoria, Illinois, the Funk Sauce Brass Band plans to expand its touring nationwide, promoting music education in schools by working with young musicians in the community. The band’s debut album, Band Kids for Life, released in April 2022. As a soloist, Rachel received Honorable Mention in the 2021 Elise Hall Competition for Emerging Saxophonists, a competition that encourages artistic growth and development for female-identifying, trans, and non-binary musicians. She has also commissioned a solo saxophone work “In the Fullness of Time” by Jacob Frost, which she premiered at the 2020 biennial North American Saxophone Alliance Conference in Tempe, Arizona. As a chamber musician, Rachel has performed in several saxophone quartets including the Saros Quartet, who were Semifinalists in the 2020 North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition. 

Rachel’s passion for teaching extends beyond her private saxophone studio. She was the general music teacher for Mulberry School in Normal, Illinois for the 2018-2019 school year. Rachel was also the music theory curriculum coordinator and teacher for the summer Junior High Band Camp at Illinois State University. She spends her summers coordinating a summer day camp program for kids at Mulberry School in Normal, Illinois.

Her research interests include performance psychology and the effects of language on wind musicians. She is energized by researching and sharing the works of underrepresented musicians, especially women in music. She is also passionate about community service and engagement.

Rachel holds Bachelor’s degrees in Saxophone Performance and Music Composition from Illinois State University and Master’s degrees in Saxophone Performance and Music Theory from the University of Oklahoma. At Illinois State University, Rachel was named a Robert G. Bone Scholar, one of the highest university-wide honors awarded to undergraduate students each year. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance at UCLA. Her principal instructors include Paul Nolen, Jonathan Nichol, and Jan Berry Baker.