Formed in 2003, The Allison Duo is dedicated to performing music that features saxophone and piano in equal roles, with repertoire ranging from classical transcriptions, to jazz, to klezmer, to the latest music for saxophone and piano. While we are at home in a concert setting, we also have a great deal of experience performing at a variety of functions, and are available to book for performances in the Southwest Florida region.

Shawn Allison holds degrees in saxophone performance and composition from St. Olaf College (B.M.) and Ithaca College (M.M.), and is currently pursuing a PhD in composition from the University of Chicago. As a saxophonist, he has performed with The Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music, Ensemble X (Ithaca), the Maverick Ensemble (Chicago), and the University of Chicago New Music Ensemble. He played with the New Heritage Saxophone Quartet when the ensemble was selected as a semifinalist in the Fischoff International Chamber Music competition and was invited to perform at the World Saxophone Congress. Shawn is the co-music director, with Abbey Allison, of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples, where he sings and plays saxophone for services as well as leading the choir, and teaches composition at Florida Gulf Coast University.

As a composer, he has worked with ensembles including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Contempo, eighth blackbird, ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble), the New Fromm Players, Spektral Quartet, and the Cadillac Moon Ensemble. He has won awards and fellowships for his compositions from The American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Composers Forum, and New Music USA; and his music has been selected for performance at the Tanglewood, Wellesley, Bowdoin, SICPP, and Fast Forward Austin festivals.

Abbey Allison holds a double degree in piano performance and string education from Ithaca College.  She has been a professional accompanist/collaborator in the Ithaca (New York), Chicago, and Southwest Florida areas, working with both student and professional instrumentalists and vocalists. Abbey is the staff accompanist for the choral program at Florida Gulf Coast University, pianist for the Symphonic Chorale of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers, co-music director, with Shawn Allison, of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples, and pianist for Friday evening services for Temple Bat Yam on Sanibel.

Shawn and Abbey have played together for more than 15 years and have provided beautiful music for weddings, parties/receptions, bar/bat mitzvahs, dinners, and other events.