Abigail Barker (soprano)

Abigail Barker, a 24-year-old soprano from Nottingham, recently graduated with first-class honours in Vocal Studies (BMus) from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. She is currently enriching her vocal study with Marcus van den Akker and Raymond Connell, ahead of commencing her studies at Masters Level at the Royal Academy of Music in September.

Abigail has performed widely across the UK and Europe. Recent highlights include touring Pergolesi's Stabat Mater across various prestigious venues, including Southwark Cathedral and Queens Hall Edinburgh. She has also sang for Lord of the Rings in Concert at St George’s Hall, Liverpool, and toured Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands alongside Gleb, exploring connection in recital between the Soprano and Countertenor voices. She spent the summer with Opera de Bauge, appearing in the choruses of 'Don Giovanni' and 'Der Rosenkavalier', and singing Minerva in 'Orpheus in the Underworld'. At Trinity Laban, she performed as Prima Nereidi in Monteverdi's 'Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria'.

As a frequent competitor, Abigail was a semi-finalist in the Leach Vocal Competition and took part in the Eastbourne International Singing Competition. She won the Trinity Laban English Song prize, was a finalist in the Lilian Ash French Song and Elisabeth Schumann Lieder Competitions, won the Nottingham-based Liz Chant Bursary, and was selected for the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary Competition.

Abigail has sung with the Old Royal Naval College Chapel Choir under Ralph Allwood, appearing on BBC songs of Praise and also the Rodolfus Choir, where she had the chance to perform Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem at the Royal Festival Hall. She has also honed her craft in masterclasses with Ailish Tynan, Pascal Rogé, Janis Kelly, Catherine Wyn-Rogers and Lynne Dawson.