Abbie Eads

Conductor & Cellist

About
Abbie

“... her professionalism, preparation, and thorough understanding of each instrument or voice makes performing with her as easy as it can be - freeing each performer up to be able to add the extra artistic quality that brings magic to a performance.”

-Laura Loge, soprano

"Abbie Eads has the rare ability to guide her ensemble with clarity, consistency, and confidence. Only several measures into a piece, a player knows they are working with an exceptional conductor; one who shows clear cues and gestures without fanfare, fuss, or error. Her hands convey exactly what needs to be “said”, allowing musicians to focus on making music. What a gift!"

-Jane Sandstrom, flute

Abbie Eads is a "versatile and passionate musician" who captivates audiences across the country as both a conductor and cellist. Known for her clarity and consistency, she "brings out the best from all those under her baton," delivering performances that truly reflect the composer’s intent. Abbie is highly respected by conductors, singers, and instrumentalists worldwide.

Equally at ease performing early music and contemporary works, Abbie effortlessly blends tradition and innovation in her performances. She is currently Assistant Lecturer in the School of Music at Southern Illinois University, where she is actively engaged in teaching, mentoring, and performance. In addition to her academic appointment, she maintains a vibrant performing career with frequent guest appearances across the country, collaborating with a wide range of ensembles including chamber groups, string quartets, bands, choral ensembles, and orchestras.

Beyond her classical and orchestral pursuits, Abbie’s recent projects include recording for Bloom, the latest EP by Raynes, a British-American trio signed to Sony Music Publishing. As a cellist, she contributed to the EP's lush chamber pop arrangements, which beautifully blend folk, pop, and world music influences. The full EP was mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Chris Sclafani, known for his work with artists like Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, The Weeknd, and Ariana Grande.

Her past roles include serving as Conductor-in-Residence with the NW Edvard Grieg Society, Director of Music and Liturgy at Seattle’s Our Lady of the Lake Parish, and Director of Orchestras and Adjunct Professor at Pierce College in Puyallup, WA. She holds a Master’s in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Washington, where she studied under Seattle Symphony Conductor Emeritus Ludovic Morlot and David A. Rahbee, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Minot State University, where she studied cello with Erik Anderson.

Abbie’s performance experience spans the globe, having worked with numerous orchestras and at festivals, including the International Conducting Workshop & Festival (Bulgaria), the Telemark Symfoniorkester (Norway), the Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (Ukraine), and the Pierre Monteux Festival Orchestra (Maine). She was also a soloist with the Minot Symphony Orchestra, having won their 2014 MSO Concerto Competition.