About

As the Artistic Director for the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, Abernathy leads a 130-voice symphonic chorus that performs major choral-orchestral works in collaboration with their partner The Florida Orchestra. Recent reviews of his work have noted,  “...The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay delivered their message with enough precision and clarity to sound like a chamber ensemble on steroids.” (Kurt Loft- TFO Blog). Continuing the Master Chorale’s long-standing legacy of supporting the work of living composers, he has commissioned music by Jerod Tate, Nico Gutierrrez, Natalie Draper, Joan Szymko, and many others. He further oversees a comprehensive community engagement program reaching all ages throughout Tampa Bay.

In 2024 Abernathy was named the Grand Prize winner of the MidAmerica International Choral Conducting Competition and will make his Carnegie Hall debut in June 2026. Additionally, was a semifinalist and the only American admitted to the 2022 Fosco Corti International Competition for Choral Conductors in Turin, Italy out of over 60 international applicants. From 2016-2022, he was on staff at Minnesota Opera where he has served as Guest Chorus Master (2022, 2019), Children’s Chorus Director (2016-2022), and Music Director of their youth opera program Project Opera (2016-2022). Prior engagements also include work as the Chorus Master for the Lakes Area Music Festival (2018-2022) and regular work as an Assistant Conductor/Section Leader with the Minnesota Chorale (2022, 2019), including for their recording of Mahler Symphony No. 8 (BIS Records) with Minnesota Orchestra.

Other notable conducting appearances include The Florida Orchestra, Wintergreen Music Festival, Bach Society of Minnesota, Dakota Valley Symphony Chorus, Oratorio Society of Minnesota, Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, The Summer Singers, Opera MODO, Arbor Opera Theater, 113 Composer Collective, and the Norfolk Chamber Choir. He has prepared choruses for conductors including Michael Francis, Chelsea Gallo, Michael Christie, Christian Reif, Osmo Vänskä, Jonathan Brandani, Nicholas Kraemer, Kenneth Kiesler, Larry Rachleff, Kathy Saltzman Romey, and Christof Perick.

Beyond his performance work, Dr. Abernathy is a devoted pedagogue and champion for music education and art-making at all ages. In the collegiate setting, Dr. Abernathy is the Director of Choral Studies at the University of Tampa where he conducts the Chamber Singers, Camerata, and teaches the undergraduate Aural Skills sequence. Additionally, he has been on the faculty at the University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota. His academic research focuses on aural skills and musicianship (particularly as it pertains to training conductors), and Leadership for Conductors: a topic on which he has presented at the ACDA Southern Conference. 

In his work with Minnesota Opera’s Project Opera, he mentored and coached young talent, continuing the program's successful legacy, which has produced singers currently performing at LA Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Glyndebourne, Houston Grand Opera, and many others. He played an integral role in the creation and success of Minnesota Opera’s Voices of Opera, an adult community chorus which performed semi-staged scenes from famous operas, and served as a Teaching Artist for Minnesota Opera’s El Sistema program, Music Out Loud.

Dr. Abernathy has furthered his studies at the Medomak Conductors Retreat, Chorus America Conducting Academy, and Norfolk Chamber Choir Workshop. He has been lucky to work with many amazing musicians who have greatly influenced him, and counts among his mentors Kathy Saltzman Romey, Jerry Blackstone, Duain Wolfe, Matthew Mehaffey, Eugene Rogers, Erin Freeman, and Kenneth Kiesler. He holds degrees from the University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, Crane School of Music (SUNY Potsdam), and Onondaga Community College.