Abbi Berry is an award-winning jazz and pop vocalist, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, and teacher based in Los Angeles, California.
Born and raised by two musician parents, Abigail Berry started her musical training at age four in the form of piano lessons, which she continued until high school. She joined the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus in 2008 and was a member of their Concert Choir and Chamber Singers until 2016. With LACC’s Concert Choir, she toured to Washington D.C., South Africa, Canada, England, and Germany and performed with LA’s classical elite, including Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and John Williams in venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.
In June 2016, Abigail graduated from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts as a vocal jazz major. As a member of LACHSA’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble, she competed in the Next Generation Jazz Festival in Monterey, California during all four years of high school. In 2015 and 2016, while Abbi was student director of the group, they took home 1st place, resulting in the opportunity to perform at the famed Monterey Jazz Festival in both of those years. They also opened the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in 2015. She was also a member of the 2016 Grammy Choir as part of the Grammy Camp Jazz Session. She has received honors from the national YoungArts Foundation, including being named a Finalist in Jazz Voice in 2017, and three Honorable Mentions in Jazz and Popular Voice in previous years.
Abigail attended UCLA from 2016-2017 as a Linguistics major, but continued her vocal jazz studies there under the direction of Michele Weir and Kenny Burrell.
Abigail earned her Bachelor’s of Music in May 2020 from the University of North Texas as a vocal Jazz Studies major. At UNT, she studied voice and vocal pedagogy with Rosana Eckert and arranging/score study with Jennifer Barnes. Abigail was also a member of UNT’s esteemed One O’Clock Lab Band, under the direction of Alan Baylock, and the top vocal jazz ensemble, the UNT Jazz Singers, under the direction of Jennifer Barnes. Highlights from her time in those groups include: two Downbeat Student Music Awards, Finalist in the Jack Rudin Jazz Championship, performances at the Jazz Education Network Conference, and tours to Chicago, New Orleans, and New York City. Abigail graduated summa cum laude.
After graduation, Abigail spent some time in the DFW area as a private music instructor, live performer, and studio singer. In summer 2021, she moved back to her native Los Angeles. She currently lives in Burbank, working as a live performer, studio singer, and private teacher. A debut album of original music is in the works!