Giselle and Erik
Friday, July 23, 2021
11 am – 3 pm
Healthy West Orange Arts and Heritage Center at the Town of Oakland
Join us for an afternoon of spectacular music from Giselle and Erik, an award-winning vocal and guitar duo based in Gainesville, Florida. Their style melds their roots in jazz and pop with Brazilian spirit and folk influences. Each of them songwriters, Giselle and Erik offer their audiences a collection of original music that pairs Giselle’s sultry voice and mellow piano with the sweet sounds of Erik’s jazz and classical guitar.
Giselle and Erik began playing together in the University of Florida Jazz Program in 2017. The duo received a DownBeat Student Music Award (2021) in the Latin Group category at the graduate level, and they can be seen performing across Florida at venues including The Reilly Arts Center, Heartwood Soundstage, and many more.
Giselle Felice is an accomplished performer, songwriter, and creative entrepreneur from Orlando, Florida. She grew up in the opera world, performing in 8 operas with the Orlando Opera Company. While in high school, Giselle worked with John Marsden Productions to produce her first singer/songwriter album, A Passing By. She has also worked at the U.S. Department of State in their Cultural Programs and Music Diplomacy Division and taught two Honors undergraduate music industry courses at UF.
She holds a B.A. in Business Administration with a specialization in International Studies and a minor in Jazz Studies from the University of Florida Honors Program. She is currently a Master’s student in the University of Florida’s Hough Graduate School of Business, pursuing a Masters in Entrepreneurship.
Erik Abernathy is an accomplished guitarist and upright bassist with a unique style inspired by many genres including Bebop, Brazilian music, Hot Club jazz, classical guitar, funk, and blues. He performs as a soloist, as the guitarist for the Giselle Felice & Erik Abernathy duo, and with other groups in the Central and North Central Florida areas at venues including the Enzian Theater, the Marion Theater, the Reilly Arts Center, the Brazilian Music Institute, and Heartwood Soundstage.
Erik holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Jazz Studies from the University of Florida. Currently, Erik is working towards his Master of Music with a specialization in Jazz Studies at the University of Florida. He is a HAPCO Music Program Clinician.