Get to know AbigailWhat are you doing in school?
"I graduated from Gettysburg College in 2019, and an currently pursuing an MA in Museum Studies at Johns Hopkins University." How long have you been singing in choirs? "I have been singing in choirs since the fourth grade!" What is your favorite musical memory? "My favorite musical memory is singing Alan Louis Smith's "Vignettes: Ellis Island" for my senior recital. As a history and music double major, I really connected to this piece, as the text is taken from oral history interviews conducted with people who came through Ellis Island as children. I almost felt like I was doing both a public history and a music project while writing my program notes, which really made me feel like I had taken full advantage of the liberal arts environment of Gettysburg College. It was just so incredible to share my love of history with my music friends, and the piece itself is so unique and fun to perform." Do you have any special talents or interests outside of music? "I like traveling, going to museums, and bullet journaling! I also recently got into embroidery, which has been consuming most of my free time over the past few months." Who is your favorite composer? Why? "I’m a big musical theatre fan, so I have to say Stephen Sondheim. I really appreciate the intelligence of his lyrics and the complexity of his writing. If I could make a career out of only performing in Sondheim shows, I would." Who's your favorite non-classical musical artist? "Gregory Alan Isakov! He is an indie folk singer, but in 2016 released an album where he performed eleven of his earlier songs that were orchestrated and recorded with the full Colorado Symphony. That collaboration is absolutely incredible and bridges two very different genres so seamlessly. I could listen to that album forever." What song have you not been able to stop listening to? "Love Song (For the Apocalypse) by Ira Wolf. " On a long road trip, would you rather an eagle or a chinchilla pick the music, and why? "Definitely an eagle. I feel like the eagle would pick a lot of folksy Americana stuff, which is pretty appropriate for a road trip. We would be jamming to Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan for sure." What were you doing in the summer when you were in middle school? "I was probably at theatre camp. In middle school and high school I also used to be a counselor at a camp for elementary school kids where we did activities based on the historical American Girl dolls, so that was definitely in the mix somewhere." What is your favorite holiday and why? "I love Christmas because I get to go home to Minnesota and spend time with my family, and we almost always have a white Christmas! I also just really enjoy Christmas music and the energy surrounding the holiday season." Dinosaurs or dogs? "Anyone who knows me could tell you that my answer to this would absolutely be dinosaurs. I have been known to wear dinosaur-themed jewelry and I recently decorated my Christmas tree with all dinosaur ornaments. " What's your favorite thing about singing in Lux? "My favorite thing about singing with Lux is being able to sing challenging music with a small group of people. I love big choral works, but it is really special being able to sing with such a small ensemble. I also really appreciate the ensemble's commitment to performing new works!" What's your favorite song you've sung with Lux? "As much as I want to be able to pick just one, there are two that really stand out to me, both from Summer 2019. The first piece, Sweetheart of the Sun by Eric William Barnum, is just stunning and the text is gorgeous. The second piece was a upper-voice arrangement of Even When He is Silent by Kim André Arnesen. We performed it with one person on each part, and I STILL get chills every time I think about how in sync we were. It was just a very powerful musical experience for me, and the piece itself is so simple, yet so beautiful." What's the most interesting fact about you? "The most interesting fact about me is that I have seen Smashmouth live in concert (before “All Star” became a meme)." |
Abigail Winston recently graduated from Gettysburg College in 2019 with a double major in Music and History and a minor in Public History. While at Gettysburg, she studied with Dr. Susan Hochmiller and sang with the Gettysburg College Choir, Camerata, and the Gettysburg College Jazz Ensemble. She has been in many theatrical and operatic productions including The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona Lisa Peretti), Gypsy (Electra), Dido and Aeneas (Sorceress), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Rosemary), and Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife and Florinda). Abigail spent summer 2018 with fellow Lux singer Amanda Densmoor as a Young Artist in Musiktheater Bavaria’s Musical Theater Studio where she trained intensively in voice, acting, and dance. Currently, Abigail lives and works in Washington, D.C. Aside from working and singing, Abigail enjoys working on embroidery projects, watching documentaries, and drinking iced chai lattes.
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