Rachael Thoms

Biography

Rachael Thoms is an Australian vocalist, composer, and educator whose work spans jazz, contemporary, and classical traditions. Recognised for her expressive clarity and versatility, she brings deep understanding of vocal function, improvisation, and stylistic nuance to both her performance and composition. She has performed at major Australian cultural institutions including Parliament House, the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum, and National Film and Sound Archive, appearing as featured soloist at vice-regal, diplomatic, and nationally broadcast events. Her broadcast credits include ABC Television and ABC Radio.
As a recording artist, Rachael released her debut jazz album The Great Unknown (2011) featuring original compositions with pianist Luke Sweeting, followed by Nothing But Blue Skies (2017) with guitarist Lachlan Coventry. She also appears on Andrea Keller’s critically acclaimed 2023 release Flicker & Polar Bird. Her work demonstrates sustained engagement with original repertoire, collaborative improvisation, and genre-crossing vocal writing.
Rachael has appeared alongside a wide range of artists across jazz, classical, and contemporary music, including George Benson, Andrea Keller, Vince Jones, Miroslav Bukovsky, Lior, Lisa Moore, The Song Company, and the late Rob Guest. Her performance background also includes opera, music theatre, and art song, informing a flexible and text-driven approach to vocal composition.

Alongside her artistic practice, Rachael is a highly regarded voice educator and researcher. She holds a PhD from the Australian National University, where her research focuses on vocal pedagogy, improvisation, and the biopsychosocial dimensions of voice. She has lectured in jazz and contemporary voice, performance, and musicianship at ANU School of Music, where she currently holds an Honorary position. She maintains an active teaching and mentoring practice and continues to develop research arising from her doctoral work.