Rachel Portman is an English composer, best known for scoring films. Portman was born on 11 December 1960 in Haslemere in West Sussex, England, the daughter of Penelope (née Mowat) and Berkeley Charles Portman.[1]

She was educated at Charterhouse School and became interested in music from a young age, beginning composing at the age of 14. After finishing school, Portman studied Music at Worcester College, Oxford. It was here that her interest in composing music for films began as she started experimenting with writing music for student films and theatre productions.