Diane Abdi Robertson

Diane Abdi Robertson is a Georgia native who received a BA in Piano Performance from Wesleyan College, where she received the Georgia Composers Collegiate Award for choral composing. She received the Master of Music in Music Ed/Vocal Emphasis from GA State University, studying voice with both Peter and Irene Harrower, and conducting with Donald Nuen. While a teen, she was an Atlanta Symphony Young People's Concert winner in piano, and as a college graduate, she was featured vocalist with the Atlanta Symphony for the Chastain Park Summer Series, as well as with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra for several summer concerts, Albert Coleman, conductor.

Diane sang with the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, Robert Shaw, conductor, for several seasons, and assisted at the piano in soloist rehearsals and as part of the onstage ensemble for performances of the Berstein "Mass." She has also sung with the 110 voice GA Festival Chorus, Frank Boggs, conductor, and in 2011, that group premiered five of her choral settings of poems by Ruth Bell Graham in 5 Atlanta area concerts, several of which she conducted. More recently, Diane sang two seasons with the Kennesaw State University Community and Alumnae Chorus, Leslie Blackwell, conductor, and also assisted at the piano in four hand accompaniments.

For twenty years, Diane taught in the Atlanta and Cobb County school systems, teaching music at all three educational levels. She frequently composed for her choirs, who performed her music in concerts as well as at district music festivals. During this time she also accompanied for the Northside School of the Performing Arts, the Atlanta Opera, the Ruth Mitchell Dancers, and many other Atlanta singers and churches.

Diane has enjoyed further study with Alice Parker, both at the Westminster Choir College and in New York City, and she has also attended summer choral writing seminars with sacred music composer, Joseph Martin.

Now retired from teaching, Diane continues to compose and accompany professionally. She is entering her sixth year accompanying for the Atlanta International School's drama and choral programs, which has also commissioned two choral pieces to date. She is married and has three children, five stepchildren, and eight grandchildren.

"Dream," a five-part choral work for young voices & piano, published by E. C. Schirmer, is Diane's first published piece. Its 2015 fall premier by the Youth Choir of Trinity Cathedral, Wall Street, NYC, is a dream come true for Diane, who hopes to continue composing for many more years.