Rachel J. Burckardt, Composer & Instrumentalist Photo by Rosie Delacruz
Rachel J. Burckardt, a New York City native, is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer now living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rachel serves as a volunteer liturgical musician at St. Cecilia Parish in Boston, Massachusetts. At St. Cecilia's she has served in multiple roles, most recently (pre-pandemic) as one of the Interim Music Directors. She is also an assisting accompanist (piano, guitar, bass, organ), composer in residence, and choir member. Rachel also sings with the Boston Archdiocesan Festival Choir. In 2022, she co-founded the Tutti Music Collective to promote the music of local living composers particularly those of less-represented groups including people of color, women and LGBTQA+ folks. Presently, she is also on the Board of Directors of the Back Bay Chorale.
Her sacred and liturgical compositions span various musical styles from chant to gospel and include settings of psalms, liturgical acclamations, and sacred songs. "Rachel Burckardt has a unique compositional style, personal and always pushing the boundaries of a complex harmonic language. " (Joe Matzzie, composer and guitarist) "There is nothing derivative about Rachel's compositions. They are honest." (Paul Hoffman, teaching artist, South Shore Conservatory and Music Director, St. John the Evangelist Church, East Bridgewater, Massachusetts) A civil engineer in her day job, Rachel obtained her musical education "on the side" while attending Northeastern University in Boston. She studied piano, composition, and arranging with several graduates of the Berklee College of Music, an experience she calls this her “second-hand” Berklee musical education!  At St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City
Her compositional and improvisational style was influenced by a stint with the hammer dulcimer/ psaltry-based Bill Desmond Tone Poem, where she played guitar and keyboards. The Tone Poem, while classified as "New Age," is better described as a meeting of ambient music with modal jazz in a form that was essentially structured improvisation influenced by progressive rock. This affinity for atmospherics, as well as a particular predilection for minor 9th chords, can be heard in many of her compositions.
Rachel's recording career includes:
Recordings
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CompositionsFor indices of the compositions by
Rachel J. Burckardt, click below: St. Cecilia MusicSt. Cecilia Parish is located in the Back Bay section of Boston. Named for the patroness of music, the parish is near three renowned music schools: Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory and The Boston Conservatory. Needless to say, the parish is well know for its music ministry.
From 1989 to 2018, Richard J. Clark served as Music Director and Organist for the parish. Richard is a graduate of both Berklee and the Boston Conservatory, and is a publish-ed composer of sacred music. Richard developed an expanded music program for the parish's 3 choirs incorporating music spanning nearly 5 centuries of sacred tradition. In September 2018, Richard accepted a new position as Music Director for the Archdiocese of Boston and Music Director/Organist for the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. Robert Duff, D.M.A. serves as the current Director of Music at St. Cecilia's.
Since 2003, Rachel has served as a volunteer liturgical musician and composer at St. Cecilia Parish. Her roles include assisting accompanist (piano, guitar, bass, organ), composer in residence, and assisting director for the 6 pm contemporary choir and ensemble. From September 2018 through September 2019, she served as Interim Music Director for the 6 pm choir and ensemble Prior to St. Cecilia Parish, Rachel was as acting music director for the 6 pm choir at St. Ann Parish, which was merged into St. Cecilia's in 2004. 
Christmas Eve 2012 at St. Cecilia Church, Boston, MA. That's the back of my curly head in the lower right in the alto section. Richard Clark at the 1999 Smith & Gilbert organ.
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