Abby received her BS in Music Education from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas in 1997. While there she participated in many opera and musical theater productions including the lead role as Laurie in Copland's The Tender Land and a liebeslieder singer in Sondheim's A Little Night Music. She studied voice with Dr. Walter Foster and theatrical music with Dr. Frieda Gebert.
Abby, based in Austin, Texas, regularly travels and performs at fairs, festivals, universities and other formal concert venues across the country. Her solo act consists of Medieval songs, Irish songs in the Irish language as well as some American and Celtic folk songs all accompanied by her Octave Mandolin. In February 2006, Abby began learning the Irish language with the Gaelic League of Austin and with long distance teachers via modern technology. She can be heard regularly at the local song session.
She has been performing nationwide with Istanpitta Early Music Ensemble as lead and harmonizing vocalist, saz & lute player, percussionist on frame drums and tabor, and energetic, audience interacting storyteller since March 2004. Abby has been an active member of the Texas Early Music Project, directed by Daniel Johnson since January 2006.
Visit Abby's MySpace page for recently released tracks from Istanpitta's newest CD and a couple of recently recorded Irish songs.
In the past, Abby has been honored to be a member of Austin Vocal Arts Ensemble directed by Dr. Kenneth Sheppard, Texas Star Chorus directed by Pat Oliver, and Piping Rock Singers directed by Dr. Katherine Wallace.