Abigail Koo joined WPI Philharmonic Orchestra in August of 2021. She brings musical experiences from podiums around the world, such as Lucerne, Salzburg, Moscow, Seoul, and throughout the US. Equally at home with various musical mediums, Abigail Koo is a recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, including Lauren Dilsner Choral Conducting Scholarship, Bertlesmann’s World of Expression Award for Composition, Young Artist Competition winner for piano, Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society Competition winner, to highlight a few.
Abigail began her musical studies as a pianist at the age of six and received less than two years of piano lessons. In the following years, she taught herself to play major repertoire and entered the famous music high school in New York City, La Guardia High School of Music and Arts & Performing Arts where she began her formal musical training. A prolific solo pianist, chamber musician, orchestral violinist, as well as a conductor, Abigail has performed in major concert halls of New York and France, including the Carnegie Weill Hall, Carnegie Isaac Stern Hall, 92nd Street Y, Cami Hall, Alice Tully Hall, New York Steinway Hall, and Avery Fischer Hall.
Abigail is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance under the tutelage of Jeffrey Cohen. She continued her piano study with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University with a full-tuition Merit Scholarship for a Master of Music degree and went on to a Performance Diploma for post-graduate study. After three degrees in piano performance, undertook doctoral studies in orchestral conducting as a Dean’s Merit Scholarship recipient. Abigail has studied and worked together with eminent conductors, including David Effron, Arthur Fagen, Leonard Slatkin, Bruno Weil, Herbert Blomstedt, and Bernard Haitink.
Passionate for humanitarian work, Abigail founded two music schools, one in Cambodia and another branch in Myanmar, to help underprivileged students. She continues to work with NGOs to provide relief for Cambodia and Myanmar through music education, scholarships for young women, and food assistance.
