More About Isabel

Isabel Randall is a civic-engaged mezzo-soprano, poet, and librettist from Rota, Spain, who “stands out for her impassioned, expressive physicality” (The New England Theatre Geek).

In the 2025–2026 season, Isabel returns for a second year in Dayton Opera’s Artist-in-Residence program with exciting engagements. She will make her house and role debut as Mercédès in Carmen, and appear as the mezzo-soprano soloist in several programs with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO): Messiah, American Soundscapes, and Mozart’s Requiem in D minor. Additionally, she will portray the title role of Hansel in their concert version of Hansel and Gretel. Isabel will also make her Rochester Oratorio Society debut in 2026 as a featured artist in their annual Arts Connexions recital series, curating a program of song and poetry.

Highlights from Isabel’s 2024–2025 season included completing her first year as a Dayton Opera Artist-in-Residence, portraying abolitionist Amelia J. Piper in Whaling Women at The Boston Conservatory, covering the role of Zoe Walker in Ricky Ian Gordon’s world premiere opera This House (2025) at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ 50th anniversary season, and portraying the praised journalist Gwen Ifill in Guerilla Opera’s 15th anniversary performance of Curtis K. Hughes’ opera Say It Ain’t So, Joe?.

Passionate about accessible and contemporary opera, Isabel originated the roles of Mable in Courthouse Bells and Ruby in Is This America?, both composed by Mary D. Watkins, and participated in the Act I workshop for Damien Geter’s opera Loving v. Virginia.

Her accolades include Finalist for the Slovak National Theatre’s Opera Studio, Finalist in the Eastern Region NANM Scholarship Competition, First Place in the Thomas Music Study Club Voice Competition, Second Prize for the Wilkinson’s Young Singers Fund, and semifinalist placements in the Benjamin Matthew Williams and Annapolis Opera Vocal Competitions. She is also a two-time Opera Buffs, Inc. grant recipient.

Isabel has performed with Boston Opera Collaborative, Boston Lyric Opera, Charlottesville Opera, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Des Moines Metro Opera, Guerilla Opera, The Oratorio Society of Virginia, Virginia Opera, and White Snake Projects. Her operatic credits include Alcina (Ruggiero), Carmen, The Love for Three Oranges, Omar (Giddens & Abels), and Porgy and Bess. Her concert work includes the North American premiere of Ēriks Ešenvalds’ Passion According to St. Luke, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Manuel de Falla’s El Amor Brujo (Candelas), Margaret Bonds’ Ballad of the Brown King, and Handel’s Messiah.

Known as “The Inquisitive Typist” in her writing, Isabel collaborated with composer Ben Russman on Five Short Pieces, earning the 2023 St. Botolph Club Foundation Emerging Artist Award. She recently completed a libretto, Once There Was a Girl: An Opera in Three Acts, based on her mother’s memoir.

Isabel holds a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Longy School of Music (Roman Totenberg Award Recipient), a Master of Music from Azusa Pacific University (Dennis Royse Graduate Achievement & Excellence Award Recipient), and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Baylor University. She is deeply grateful to God, her family, friends, mentors, and teachers for their support.

This website was designed by Isabel Randall, PR Specialist.