Gideon Solomon Dabi and Alyssa Nicole Martin first crossed paths in June 2021 while performing in Gioachino Rossini’s “La Cenerentola,” staged as part of the Northern Lights Music Festival in Aurora, Minnesota. At the time, Dabi portrayed the valet Dandini, and Martin took on the lead role of Angelina. Neither anticipated the professional collaboration would evolve into a lifelong partnership.

Emerging from a prolonged period of pandemic-related isolation, both artists described their engagement in the production as a surreal return to performance. Martin, then based in Atlanta and working as a freelance performing artist, recalled focusing on her craft without expecting to find romance. Dabi, a New York-based voice coach and performer residing on the Upper West Side, initially saw Martin simply as a colleague. Their deeper connection began during a cast dinner at a local restaurant, where shared humor and mutual wit laid the groundwork for friendship.

Following the festival, the two maintained regular communication through calls and texts, discussing everything from their artistic pursuits to daily life. Over several months, their conversations grew more personal, leading both to acknowledge developing romantic feelings. By spring 2022, both had recognized their bond had transitioned into love.

Their first meeting after the festival occurred in May 2022 when Dabi invited Martin to New York to attend Puccini’s “La Bohème” at the Metropolitan Opera. What began as a spur-of-the-moment invitation led to a three-day visit during which their relationship deepened significantly. The weekend included dinner, the opera, and a memorable moment on a New York street where Dabi initiated their first kiss. Upon returning to Atlanta, Martin and Dabi recognized the relationship was serious.

Dabi, 46, hails from Highland Park, New Jersey. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Rutgers University as well as a master’s and doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music. He maintains a career as a classical singer and voice instructor in New York. Martin, 36, is originally from Stokesdale, North Carolina. She earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in music at Indiana University Bloomington’s Jacobs School of Music and currently serves as the brand and partnership marketing director for PT Solutions, an Atlanta-based physical therapy company, working remotely.

Over the subsequent two years, the couple nurtured their relationship through regular visits, flying to see each other approximately once a month. Their time together included attending Atlanta Braves games and exploring New York’s cultural offerings, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and classical performances.

In December 2024, during a walk in Manhattan’s Riverside Park, Dabi proposed to Martin with a diamond solitaire ring—earlier than she had anticipated, as she expected a New Year’s Eve proposal. The couple formalized their union on June 5 in Brooklyn at Shell’s Loft Fort Greene before 70 guests. The ceremony was officiated by Cantor David Mintz, a friend of Dabi’s ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Music featured prominently in the celebration, including Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major” during the processional.