Abigail Walton | Percussion

Abby is a freelance percussionist, educator, and researcher from the Southeastern PA area. She earned a B.M. in Instrumental Performance from West Chester University in May 2026, and will be pursuing an M.M. in Orchestral Instruments (Percussion Concentration) at McGill University beginning Fall 2026.

Abigail Walton is an active percussionist, educator, and researcher based in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Inclined towards keyboard percussion, she was awarded first place in Penn State University’s 2025 Marimba Competition and has found recent competition success with Nathan Daughtrey’s Concerto for Vibraphone, performing the work with four different ensembles. Additionally, she is passionate about pedagogy, illustrated by her private lesson teaching, clinic presentations, and research projects. Abby earned a B.M. Instrumental Performance from West Chester University in May 2026, where she studied with Dr. Ralph Sorrentino and Professor Chandler Beaugrand. She will be continuing her education at McGill University beginning Fall 2026, pursuing an M.M. in Orchestral Instruments. Abby is a proud Emerging Artist with the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion, joining their 2026-2027 cohort.

Abigail Walton is an active percussionist based in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Beginning her studies on piano at a young age, she later felt drawn towards the dynamic energy of percussion. Inclined towards keyboard percussion, she won first place in the collegiate division of Penn State University’s 2025 Marimba Competition and attended the inaugural 2025 Nashville Marimba Sessions. Abby has also found recent competition success with Nathan Daughtrey’s Concerto for Vibraphone, performing the work with the West Chester University (WCU) Wind Symphony, WCU Percussion Ensemble, WCU Symphony Orchestra, and Newark (DE) Symphony Orchestra.

Passionate about education and pedagogy, Abby teaches for Mosaic Music Lessons (Phoenixville, PA) and WCU’s Community Music Program. She enjoys successfully preparing students of all ages and abilities for their musical goals, ranging from school talent shows to collegiate auditions. Abby’s other love is research, illustrated by her invited clinic presentation at Penn State University’s 2026 Percussion Festival and participation in WCU’s 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI). Her research interests include feminist musicology, percussion pedagogy for students in grades K-3, and historically informed performance practice.

Abby earned a B.M. in Instrumental Performance from West Chester University in May 2026, where she studied with Dr. Ralph Sorrentino and Professor Chandler Beaugrand. She will be continuing her education at McGill University (Montréal, QC) beginning Fall 2026, pursuing an M.M. with Thesis in Orchestral Instruments (Percussion Concentration). Abby is a proud Emerging Artist with the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion, joining their 2026-2027 cohort.

Abigail Walton (b. 2003) is an active percussionist based in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Beginning her studies on piano at a young age, she later felt drawn towards the dynamic energy of percussion. Inclined towards keyboard percussion, she won first place in the collegiate division of Penn State University’s 2025 Marimba Festival and attended the inaugural 2025 Nashville Marimba Sessions. Abby has also found recent competition success with Nathan Daughtrey’s Concerto for Vibraphone, performing the work with the West Chester University (WCU) Wind Symphony (April 2025), WCU Percussion Ensemble (November 2025), WCU Symphony Orchestra (March 2026), and the Newark (DE) Symphony Orchestra (May 2026). She is also an experienced ensemble percussionist, performing in groups such as the Chester County Pops Orchestra, University of Pennsylvania Wind Ensemble, and Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. On campus, she particularly enjoyed her time in the WCU Percussion Ensemble and WCU Symphony Orchestra, where she served as Assistant Principal Percussionist and Assistant Principal Timpanist in 2025.

Passionate about education and pedagogy, Abby teaches for Mosaic Music Lessons (Phoenixville, PA) and WCU’s Community Music Program. She enjoys successfully preparing students of all ages and abilities for their musical goals, ranging from school talent shows to collegiate auditions. She also loves research and outreach, seen through her clinics and lightning talks (e.g. Developing Conversations with Your Music, “Sound” Sounds: Foundations for Well-Rounded Percussionists, and Bach on Marimba: Developing an Informed Performance). Abby has presented these clinics at high schools in Pennsylvania and Virginia, as well as special events such as the “Percussion at Penn State” 2026 Festival and Conference (State College, PA) and WCU’s 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (West Chester, PA). She adjudicated the “Percussion at Penn State” 2026 Marimba Competition alongside notable percussionists from the Sandbox Percussion Quartet. Her varied research interests include feminist musicology, percussion pedagogy for students in grades K-3, and historically informed performance practice.

Abby earned a B.M. in Instrumental Performance in May 2026 from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where she studied with Dr. Ralph Sorrentino and Professor Chandler Beaugrand. She will be continuing her education at McGill University in Montréal QC beginning Fall 2026, pursuing an M.M. with Thesis in Orchestral Instruments (Percussion Concentration). Abby is a proud Emerging Artist with the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion, joining their 2026-2027 cohort. Her professional goals include solo and chamber performance, nonprofit work, post-secondary pedagogy, and scholarly publication. When not making music, she loves reading, long walks with her dog and family, and a good cup of iced coffee.