Desiree Abbey

Desiree Abbey is a freelance cellist who performs regularly with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra as principal cellist and as an extra musician with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. At age 4, she began her cello studies at the Beaches Suzuki School of Music in Toronto with Jonathan Ingham and was subsequently immersed in the spirit and heart of the Suzuki Method and its philosophy.  Childhood summers were spent attending various Suzuki Institutes including Southern Ontario, Montreal, Orford, Edmonton, Ithaca and Chicago Suzuki Institutes. Later, she attended Gilda Barston's Advanced Cello Program at Ithaca and Chicago Suzuki Institutes where she was inspired by teachers and peers to pursue music as a career. She continued her studies with Mary Fisher at the Toronto School for Music, and graduated from the Glen Gould School's Young Artists Program under Roberta Jansen. Desiree received a Bachelor of Music with Honours at the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with Desmond Hoebig, performed as a soloist with the CIM Orchestra as a winner of the CIM Concerto Competition and received teacher training for Suzuki Books 1-4 with Dr. Melissa Kraut. Following her undergraduate work, Desiree moved to New York City to study with Timothy Eddy, earning both Master of Music and Professional Studies Diploma from Mannes The New School for Music. While in NYC, she taught at Brooklyn College Preparatory Music School, subbed at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and received Music Mind Games Unit 1 training (Theory) with Michiko Yurko, Suzuki Book 5 training with Carol Tarr at the Chicago Suzuki Institute and Suzuki Book 6 training with Avi Friedlander via the the Los Angeles Suzuki Institute. Desiree has appeared as soloist with the Guelph Symphony and the National Repertory Orchestra, has played in Carnegie Hall and toured Europe as part of prestigious festival orchestras and attended various summer festivals such as The Music Academy of the West, Bowdoin and Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival. She served as Assistant Principal Cello with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in their 2011- 2012 season and has taught as a sessional instructor at Brandon University and University of Manitoba. Teaching is a passion of hers and her students have been recognized as Gold Medalists in RCM examinations and class winners at the Winnipeg Music Festival. She has served as adjudicator for the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers’ Association, Provincial Music Festival and Winnipeg Music Festival. Having relocated to Ottawa, Desiree is pleased to be rebuilding her studio. Desiree teaches in English and French.