Strings, success, and substance. These are only a few of the many characteristics that define senior Abigail Leidy as an accomplished musician. Leidy, a student here at Riverbend who has devoted her life to musical performance, has recently been accepted into the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program. At a young age, Leidy learned to play the piano and soon moved on to the cello, unaware that music would soon become her passion. “I always wanted to play a stringed instrument,” she explained. “My sister started the violin, so I was very interested in orchestra.”
Throughout her life Leidy has inspired many of her peers, including Rachel Gallahan. “The first time I saw Abby play the cello was in 5th grade,” said Gallahan. “Seeing someone so interested in music at such a young age was really rare for me and it definitely inspired me to do music.”
Leidy has grown in her musical ability since the first time she picked up the cello. Last year, she won the Young Artists Competition and had the opportunity to play a solo concerto with the Piedmont Symphony and she also made the Virginia All-State Orchestra. “I’ve seen her grow a lot. When I first started teaching her in school, she was a freshman and she was very good,” said Mrs. Rolf, the orchestra director at Riverbend, “winning the Young Artists Competition with the Piedmont Symphony and getting to play a concerto was one of her most successful moments.”
Witnessing Leidy live out her lifelong dream with such devotion is an inspiration to Riverbend students and those around her. “So much of it [achieving one’s goals] is down to passion and dedication,” said Leidy. “ A lot of people say you just have to keep practicing, and that’s definitely part of it, but I think that having that motivation, knowing that music is really what you are passionate about is so important because if you have that motivation then your not going to stop growing and you’ll be able to achieve your personal goals.”