Mandie McMurdie

Artistic Director

Mandie McMurdie is the founder and Artistic Director of the Summer Women's Chorus. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Mandie holds a Bachelor’s of Music in Choral Education from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she studied under Rebecca Winston and Jing Ling Tam. After graduation, Mandie taught for many years as an elementary music educator in Plano ISD. She later took a break from public school teaching to raise her three children, during which she continued to nurture her passion for music by founding and directing a summer singing group for children and actively participating in her church’s music programs, including directing both youth and adult choirs.

In 2019, Mandie founded the Summer Women's Chorus, providing women with the opportunity to continue singing during the summer months. Now entering its fifth season, the choir has become a community tradition, uniting women in song and offering a unique platform for artistic expression. The Summer Women's Chorus is truly Mandie’s passion project, allowing her to share her love for music and create a space for women to connect, grow, and thrive through choral singing.

Mandie has sung in choirs throughout her professional career including Evening Song and Millennial Choirs and Orchestra. She currently sings with Plano Civic Chorus (PCC) and the Plano Chamber Choir, where she is frequently featured as a soloist. Notable recent performances include singing the soprano solos in Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music and Chilcott's Requiem under the baton of the composer himself. Mandie also sings with the small vocal ensemble Inspirata and with the Summer Women's Chorus' chamber group, Voces Lucis.

In addition to her role as Artistic Director of the Summer Women's Chorus, Mandie is a private voice teacher at Wylie High School and has taught voice in Wylie ISD for eight years. Her students consistently achieve the highest levels of success, earning exemplary ratings at UIL Solo & Ensemble competitions, and receiving recognition through All-Region and All-State Choirs. Her students are also frequently cast in leading roles in school musicals and community theater productions.

Mandie’s expertise in vocal pedagogy allows her to approach teaching with a focus on building confident, knowledgeable singers. She is deeply committed to instilling a love for singing in her students while emphasizing healthy vocal habits and enhancing their musical literacy. This passion for teaching extends into her work as a choral conductor, where her strong vocal technique and natural ability to build cohesive, expressive ensembles enables her choirs to create rich, emotive performances that resonate with both singers and audiences alike. With a keen understanding of women’s voices, Mandie has a remarkable talent for bringing out the best in her singers, helping them achieve their fullest artistic potential.

Mandie resides in Sachse with her husband and three kids. She is an avid thrift shopper, loves spending time with her large extended family, and doing anything and everything music related.

Hannah Abercrombie

Collaborative Pianist

A passionate performer and music teacher, Hannah Abercrombie has garnered numerous accolades since starting her piano studies at the age of six. As an undergraduate and master’s student at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts, her primary teacher was Dr. Carol Leone. While pursuing her Master’s in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at SMU, she was the recipient of a full-tuition scholarship as a Teaching Fellow in SMU’s renowned Piano Preparatory Department. 

In addition to Mrs. Abercrombie’s love of classical music, she has studied jazz piano and voice with lauded jazz musician Julie Bonk. Mrs. Abercrombie has been selected to perform in master classes with such acclaimed artists and pedagogues as Vladimir Feltsman, Joaquin Achucarro, Alessio Bax, Boris Slutsky, Nelita True, Vladimir Ovchinnikov, and Alexander Korsantia. Summer studies have brought her to Vladimir Feltsman’s Piano Summer at New Paltz and Manhattan School of Music faculty’s Manhattan in the Mountains.

Currently, Mrs. Abercrombie collaborates and teaches in the North Texas area. She has played in everything from piano duos to quintets, and has partnered with vocalists, choirs, and nearly all instrumental disciplines in recitals. Hannah has served as a staff accompanist at SMU, and she currently serves as the Sanctuary Choir accompanist at Preston Meadow Lutheran Church in Plano, TX. She has also maintained a private piano studio for 12 years; her students have received top marks in festivals, competitions, and theory tests, and several have gone on to study music at the collegiate level. Mrs. Abercrombie loves to garden, read, and be with her family in her free time.