abigail hughes stoner
harpist | pianist | music historian & educator
Abigail is an active concert harpist and pianist and distinguished pedagogue based in the Chicago and west suburbs area. She has performed with numerous orchestras, ensembles, and pit orchestras including the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra, and many others. She has worked as a session artist, collaborating with artists such as singer/songwriter Casely, Streetlight Manifesto, and Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution.
She has been featured in the Italian web magazine Crono.news and has collaborated with Napoli Fashion on the Road. She appeared on CONNECTD Project’s 17th episode, and has performed at numerous venues in the Chicagoland area including the Museum of Science and Industry, The Langham Chicago, and Lyon & Healy’s Carnegie Hall.
She is Vice President of the Historical Harp Society and currently serves on the board for the Greater Chicago Chapter of the American Harp Society. Her master’s thesis, titled “Chamber Tone Poems at the Turn of the 20th Century: How the Harp Contributed to their Development,” was published via ProQuest in 2024.
Education, Awards, Scholarships, and Publications
- B.M. in Harp Performance, Wheaton College, 2017
- M.M. in Harp Performance, Northern Illinois University, 2021
- M.M. in Music History, Northern Illinois University, 2024
- Performer’s Certificate in Harp, Northern Illinois University, 2022
- NIU Artistic Tuition Waiver, 2019 – 2024
- Wheaton College Conservatory Gulbransen Merit Scholarship, 2014
- Greater Chicago Area AHS Auditions and Evaluations Honor Recital 2014
- Birch Creek Outstanding Performer Percussion/Piano/Harp Award 2013
Abigail Hughes Stoner 