Rachel Zephir

Graduate Student Instructor

Rachel E. Zephir is currently the Director of Bands at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt Maryland. At Roosevelt, she directs four Concert Bands, Pep Band, Jazz Ensemble, and oversees the chamber music program.  During her tenure the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band have been selected to perform at the Maryland Music Educators State Conference in 2017, the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA)  Eastern Regional Conference at Yale University in 2018, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) National Band Directors Consortium Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in March of 2019.   The Wind Ensemble Chamber Winds were selected to perform at The Midwest Clinic in December of 2019.  

Rachel also spent three years teaching with The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s El Sistema-based program OrchKids.   At OrchKids, she was the Brass Department Chair and taught Musicianship and Ear Training classes.  

Rachel was also the Music Director of the Westminster Symphony Orchestra; a combined effort between McDaniel College and Carroll Community College in Westminster Maryland.  She was an adjunct faculty member at both McDaniel College and Carroll Community College teaching studio trumpet and the Brass Ensemble.  

Rachel has been the Music Director of the Rockville Brass Band since October 2020.  The ensemble has been invited to perform at major brass band venues such as the Gettysburg Brass Band Festival, the Dublin (OH) Festival of Brass, and the Mid-Atlantic Brass Band Festival at Rowan University.  

Rachel has participated in conducting workshops with notable wind conductors such as H. Robert Reynolds, Donald Hunsberger, Michael Haithcock, Craig Kirchoff, Mark Scatterday, and Kevin Sedatole.  In December 2022, she was selected as a conducting fellow for the Reynolds Conducting Institute at the 76th Midwest Clinic featuring clinicians H. Robert Reynolds and Michael Haithcock.  

Rachel is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music.  She has degrees in Trumpet, Music Education, and Wind Conducting.  She also recently completed a Master of Music in Music Education from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.