Check Out Isabel Dobarro’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabel Dobarro.

Hi Isabel , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story with the piano started long before I understood what a professional career in music could be. I was simply fascinated by the instrument — by its range, its depth, and its ability to express what words could not. Very early on, I realized that music was not just something I did; it was the way I related to the world.

My formal training in Spain gave me discipline, structure, and a strong artistic foundation. But I always felt a strong need to expand beyond what I already knew. That curiosity led me to the United States, where I continued my studies and later developed part of my academic and professional path at institutions such as New York University — where I completed my PhD — and Manhattan School of Music. I completed this education with a Master’s in International Relations at Harvard University. Those years were decisive: they opened my perspective, challenged my assumptions, and shaped my identity as an artist who moves naturally between cultures, repertoires, and contexts.

As I began to perform internationally, my career gradually took me to some of the world’s most important stages. I have had the privilege of performing at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, and major halls across Europe such as the Auditorio Nacional and the Palau de la Música Catalana. Each of these experiences has been unique, but what stays with me most is the sense of connection with audiences — that moment when music becomes something shared and immediate.

Collaboration has also been central to my artistic life. I have worked with orchestras such as the RTVE Symphony Orchestra, with whom I recorded as a soloist *Entre el Greco y Cervantes*, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom I recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London “Perséfone”, the Real Filharmonía de Galicia, OSSB Barcelona, Málaga Camerata, the Orquestra Filharmónica de Braga, among others.

A defining moment in my journey was the recording *Kaleidoscope*, released by Naxos Grand Piano, which was awarded the Latin Grammy® for Best Classical Album. That recognition was deeply meaningful, not only as an award, but as a milestone that reflected years of artistic exploration and commitment.

Alongside performance, I have devoted a significant part of my work to highlighting the music of women composers. This initiative has led me to research, perform, and record repertoire by composers such as Pauline Viardot, Clara Schumann, Louise Héritte-Viardot, and Marianna Martines, as well as contemporary women composers, helping bring their voices into today’s concert life.

I combine my performing, teaching, and research career with collaborations with non-profit organizations such as the Andrea Foundation and the AdELA Association, seeking to contribute to society through my music.

If I look at my path as a whole, I see it as a continuous process of curiosity, effort, and discovery. And I still feel very much at the beginning of what music can teach me.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
A career in classical music is full of happiness, but also uncertainty and constant rebuilding.

Balancing an international performance career with academic work and teaching responsibilities has required a great deal of discipline and prioritization. There are moments when everything happens at once, and others when the work is invisible for long periods before it becomes tangible on stage or in recording form.

There is the artistic challenge itself: maintaining a personal voice while engaging with such a vast repertoire and constant travel. It takes time to refine what you truly want to say as an artist, and to stay faithful to that vision.

Looking back, I would not describe the path as smooth, but I would describe it as meaningful. Each difficulty has shaped not only my career, but also my understanding of music, discipline, and purpose.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a classical pianist, researcher, and educator, and my work lives at the intersection of performance, scholarship, and cultural advocacy. At the core, I am a concert pianist, and I am best known for an international performance career that has taken me to venues across Europe and the Americas.

I specialize in a broad and versatile repertoire, but I am particularly committed to expanding the piano canon through the rediscovery and performance of music by women composers and contemporary music. This has become a defining aspect of my artistic identity, both on stage and in my recording projects. I work to bring overlooked voices into today’s concert life, combining performance with research and programming.

One of the things I am most known for is my work as a recording artist. My album Kaleidoscope, released by Naxos Grand Piano, was awarded the Latin Grammy® for Best Classical Album, which has been a very meaningful recognition of my artistic path. I am also proud of projects such as Entre el Greco y Cervantes, recorded with the RTVE Symphony Orchestra, The Unknown Pauline Viardot, premiering in modern times some of this fantastic composer’s pieces or Perséfone, recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

I try to build a career that is not only about performing at the highest level, but also about creating meaning through music. For me, music is both an artistic and human responsibility, and I strive to use it as a way to connect people, histories, and ideas across borders

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can follow me on social media, attend my concerts, and listen to my recordings in all platforms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.isabeldobarro.com
• Instagram: @isabeldobarropianist
• Facebook: Isabel Dobarro-Pianist
• Twitter: @isaperezdobarro
• Youtube: Isabel Dobarro