Composer Dr. Abigail Richardson-Schulte was born in Oxford, England, and moved to Canada as a child. Ironically, she was diagnosed incurably deaf at 5. Upon moving to Canada, however, her hearing was fully intact within months. Her music has been commissioned and performed by major orchestras, presenters, music festivals and broadcasters including the Festival Présences of Paris. Abigail won first at the prestigious UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers which resulted with broadcasts in 35 countries. She also won the Karen Kieser Prize (CBC), Dora Mavor Moore Award for “Best New Opera”, CMC Emerging Composer Award, Hamilton Arts Award, and the Quenten Doolittle Award from New Works Calgary. Abigail has been Affiliate Composer with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and curated Ancillary Events their New Creations Festival. In 2012, she wrote the very popular music for the classic Canadian story, “The Hockey Sweater” by Roch Carrier, in the country's first triple co-commission by the TSO, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. This orchestral "hit" has had over 150 performances and has been played repeatedly across Canada and France. A recording of the work is available on the Centrediscs label in both French and English with Roch Carrier and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Other notable orchestral works include: a WWI memorial piece, "Song of the Poets", with choir and orchestra for NACO's UK tour, co-commissioned by NACO, The World Remembers, CPO, and TBSO; multiple works for the HPO; and a complete children's orchestra concert for the CPO and the TSO using Dennis Lee's "Alligator Pie". Abigail has a busy schedule as a composer, teaches composition at the University of Toronto, and is in her ninth year as Composer-in-Residence with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Current commissions include the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and the Lafayette String Quartet.