Abigail Nims

Abigail Nims, mezzo-soprano
Abigail Nims is renowned as a musician of integrity and versatility for her performances of repertoire spanning from Bach, Handel and Mozart to Crumb, Ligeti and premieres of contemporary works. Recent highlights include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. Previous solo appearances include a premiere performance of Missy Mazzoli’s commissioned opera Proving Up with Opera Omaha, Handel’s Messiah with the Phoenix Symphony, Bach’s St. John Passion with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus. Highlights of her 2021-2022 season include Handel’s Messiah with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with the Augusta Symphony.

Previous season highlights include Handel’s Messiah with the Naples Philharmonic and Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Duluth Superior Symphony, Dvorák’s Stabat Mater with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, and Mozart’s Requiem with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus.

On opera stages her past successes include Melanto in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria with Boston Baroque; Veruca Salt in Peter Ash’s The Golden Ticket at the Wexford Opera Festival and Atlanta Opera; Lazuli in L’Étoile with New York City Opera; Despina in Così fan tutte with Palm Beach Opera and Opera Grand Rapids; Nancy in Albert Herring with Florentine Opera; Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with Virginia Opera; Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Opera New Jersey and Opera Grand Rapids; Zefka in “Scenes of Gypsy Life” (Janácek/Dvorák) with New York’s Gotham Chamber Opera; Milena in the world premiere of Martin Bresnick’s My Friend’s Story at the International Festival of Arts and Ideas; Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Princeton Festival; Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti with Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi; Meg in Little Women and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Delaware; and Tessa in The Gondoliers with Opera North.

Abigail Nims is particularly praised for her expressive interpretations and tonal beauty in the concert repertoire. Past performances include Bach’s Mass in B-minor with the San Francisco Symphony; de Falla’s Three Cornered Hat at the Colorado Music Festival; Bach’s St. John Passion with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Mexico; Stravinky’s Pulcinella, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse, and Crumb’s Night of the Four Moons with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Mahler’s Rückert Lieder at the Colorado MahlerFest; Bach’s Magnificat with the São Paulo Symphony; Handel’s Messiah with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the Masterwork Chorus at Carnegie Hall, and the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra; Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été with the Adrian Symphony Orchestra; Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Teatro Municipal (Chile); Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with Yale Philharmonia; Mozart’s Requiem and Octavian in selections from Der Rosenkavalier with the Quad City Symphony; George Benjamin’s Upon Silence and Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater with the New England String Ensemble; Ligeti’s Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedüvel with the Yale Percussion Group; Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival; and J.C.F. Bach’s solo cantata Ach, dass ich Wassers gnug hätte with Westminster Kantorei.

Nims has presented recitals at Trinity Church Wall Street, New York City; Wexford Festival Opera; the University of Colorado, Boulder; and as guest alumna at Ohio Wesleyan University. In recital she has performed repertoire by Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Berlioz, Schubert, Schumann, Grieg, Brahms, Mahler, Wolf, Debussy, Berg, Bridge, Ives, Ginastera, Argento and Harbison.

Nims’ recordings include her performances of Martin Bresnick’s song cycle “Falling,” featured on the composer’s compilation album Every Thing Must Go (Albany Records, 2010) and Veruca Salt in Peter Ash’s The Golden Ticket (Albany Records, 2012). Her awards include second prize in the 2007 Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition, the Anna Case MacKay Memorial Award from Santa Fe Opera, an honorable mention in the 2006 American Bach Society Competition, the 2007 Dean’s Prize from Yale School of Music and finalist in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation.

Nims holds degrees from Yale School of Music, Westminster Choir College and Ohio Wesleyan University. She was a Virginia Adams Fellow at the Carmel Bach Festival in 2009, an Apprentice Artist at Santa Fe Opera in 2007 and 2008, and a Young Artist with Opera North in 2005. Additionally, she has participated in the Spoleto Festival USA, AIMS in Graz (Austria), the Austrian-American Mozart Academy and the Austria-Illinois Exchange Program in Vienna. Nims is currently a member of the voice faculty at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Photo of Abigail Nims by Regina Mountjoy
Banner photo by Susan and Neil Silverman Photography