Class: 2008
Abigail Santos Villalobos
Abigail Santos was born in Ciales, Puerto Rico, where she showed a natural inclination towards music from early childhood. She grew up singing in church, although without formal training. Despite her love of singing, there were no teachers in her hometown who could teach her vocal technique, which limited her access to musical education.
At the age of 19, determined to follow her passion for music, she began taking singing lessons. Initially, her dream was to become a music teacher and singer of popular music. However, since there were no specialized programs for this type of music in her country, she decided to enter the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, where she trained as a lyrical music singer.
Her desire to continue perfecting her art led her to move to the United States to continue her studies. At the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, she completed a master's degree in singing, and her interest in understanding vocal technique in depth motivated her to undertake a doctorate in vocal pedagogy, specializing in the physiology and anatomy of the vocal instrument. This approach led her to understand the voice not from the musical genre, but from a technical and scientific perspective.
Over the course of 15 years, Abigail had the privilege of performing her talents on some of the most prestigious stages in the world. Her international career took her to sing with the Houston Grand Opera, San Diego Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Cincinnati Symphony, the NHK Symphony in Japan, and the Puerto Rico Symphony and Costa Rica National Symphony orchestras, among others. In addition to her operatic career, she continued her connection with popular music as a worship leader at Victory World Church, a church where she attended.
Alongside her singing career, Abigail has always been committed to teaching. She began her teaching career at the Canzion Institute and has taught at the university level at institutions such as Emory University and Belmont University. Her focus on vocal pedagogy and desire to share her knowledge with others have led her to develop a very personal project: Dr. VoiceThrough this character created on her social networks, Abigail seeks to support thousands of people who, like her in her early years, lack access or resources to receive singing lessons. Through Dr. Voice, offers tips, techniques and resources to help students discover and develop their voice.
Today, Abigail Santos remains dedicated to teaching, music and vocal research, contributing to the training of new generations of singers and the democratization of access to vocal education.
English 
Español