Abigail Bachelor has passionately pursued her love for the harp and music from a very young age. Her studies began in piano at age 3, adding the harp at age 7. Competition honors began at age 9 when Abigail placed fourth in the Junior Division of the 18th American Harp Society National Competition (2009). She placed fifth in the Intermediate I Division (2011) and fifth in the Intermediate I Division (2013). She placed fifth in the 2010 Young Artist International Harp Competition and second in the 2012 competition.

Locally, she has received numerous First Place awards in competitions, including the Columbus Symphony Young Musicians, Columbus Women in Music, and the Columbus Music Teachers Association. She was a “Gold Cup” winner in the National Federation of Music Clubs Competition.

Abigail’s avid orchestral experiences began early; she performed as principal harpist for the Columbus Symphony’s Junior Strings, followed by Cadet and then Youth Orchestra. She was principal harpist for the East Central Ohio Regional Orchestra (2010). She performed with the Hilliard Davidson High School Chamber Orchestra at the 2014 ASTA National Orchestra Festival. Abigail has also performed for years with HarpOhio, a locally based harp ensemble.

Abigail was selected to perform with the “Focus on Youth” at the 11th World Harp Congress (Vancouver, Canada) in 2011. She toured with the American Youth Harp Touring Ensemble from 2011–2012, and was honored to perform with them at prestigious places including the White House, Carnegie Hall, and the U.S. State House. She was a guest performer for the “Stars of Tomorrow” at the USA International Harp Competition (2013), and performed in the “Student Showcase” for the Lyon and Healy Summer Concert Series in Chicago (2015).

Abigail performed with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra for their 2018 Summer Concert Series, and also with the Toronto based Vox Choirs. She performed with The Royal Conservatory Orchestra and Opera Department in the production of Jonathan Dove’s Siren Song (2019). As part of the 21C Music Festival (2020), she performed with The Royal Conservatory Orchestra on the Canadian premier of Zakir Hussain’s tabla concerto Peshkar. She participated in the Lyon and Healy Awards Competition in Chicago (2022).

In previous seasons, Abigail served for three years as principal harpist for the New Albany Symphony Orchestra, and four years with The Ohio State University Wind Symphony and Orchestra. She has performed with the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, and served as principal harpist on the U.S. premiere of Mårten Jansson’s Requiem Novum with the Prince of Peace Choir and Concert Series Orchestra. She is currently the principal harpist for the Ohio University’s Wind Symphony and Orchestra, as well as an alternate for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

Over the years she has participated in numerous masterclasses led by such prestigious artists as Alice Giles, Yolanda Kondonassis, Sivan Magen and Isabelle Moreb. Abigail serves as a judge for the Columbus Symphony’s Young Musicians Competition.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in harp performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada. She studied under the tutelage of internationally renowned harpist, Judy Loman, for four years. She received her master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York under the instruction of New York Metropolitan Opera’s principal harpist, Mariko Anraku.

Abigail is active as a freelancer, performing with symphony orchestras, weddings, churches, private events and charities. Her repertoire extends through various genres including solo, chamber and orchestral.