I’m Hilary. And I don’t play flute like a normal person.
Hilary Abigana is a founding member and flutist for the hybrid arts ensemble, The Fourth Wall. Praised by The Wall Street Journal for their “deft choreography,” The Fourth Wall explores a new hybrid of the performing arts in which musicians are also dancers and actors. Stretching the boundaries of instrumental performance, The Fourth Wall commissions new interdisciplinary works and reinterprets established repertoire to make music that leaps off the stage. In 2017, they made their Off-Broadway debut at the SoHo Playhouse after completing a three-month long tour along the fringe festival circuit in North America with their multi-award winning neo-vaudeville variety show, Fruit Flies Like a Banana. In addition to performing hybrid arts shows, The Fourth Wall travels all over the continent conducting workshops in the basics of this genre, and encouraging participants to utilize music, dance and theater techniques in their performances.
“They have the unique ability to not just play the music, but to seemingly become the music.”
Hilary was the winner of the 2003 Eastman Nielsen Flute Concerto Competition, performing with the Eastman Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra in a gala concert honoring Professor Emeritus, Joseph Mariano. She was also the winner of the 2008 Houston Flute Club’s Byron Hester Young Artist Competition, a silver medalist at the 2008 Fischoff Competition (with Trio Destino), and a silver medalist at the 2014 Midwest Fleadh Cheoil Over 18 Céilí Band Competition (with the Indianapolis Céilí Band).
Passionate about teaching, Hilary was the Guest Artist at Floot Fire Dallas, choreographing over 100 young flutists in a performance of “I’ve Got Rhythm.” She then joined the Floot Fire faculty, was on faculty at the International Flute Symposium (with The Fourth Wall), and was co-director and Irish Flute teacher at the Irish Arts Academy of Indianapolis. Most recently, she was the Guest Artist for the Oklahoma Flute Society’s Virtual Flute Fair, giving masterclasses to all ages in addition to performing a virtual solo recital.
Hilary is at home in the orchestra as well as in front of it. She has performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestras with the “music-telling” ensemble, Tales & Scales; with the Evansville Philharmonic in a performance of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 4; and premiered a new family show in November 2013 with The Fourth Wall and the Capitol City Symphony. She was the second flutist for the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and piccolo player of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra.
Hilary received her Bachelor of Music degree with Distinction and Performer’s Certificate from The Eastman School of Music and her Masters Degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
Hilary is a proud Verne Q. Powell Flutes Artist.
