The prestigious magazine The Strad describes her as “a risk-taking artist,” while Pizzicato Magazine calls her “a sensitive artist who knows how to delve into the deepest depths of music.” Villanueva is one of the most esteemed and versatile violists of our time. She passionately advocates for music, giving her instrument a unique voice. Her innovative artistic proposals, combined with her charismatic interpretations, expressiveness, and sonic beauty, instantly connect with audiences. With over fifteen years of experience, Isabel Villanueva has built a global career spanning more than 25 countries, pioneering performances in numerous regions with major orchestras and festivals in Latin America, Russia, the Middle East, China, and Europe.

At the age of 18, she successfully performed Bartók’s Viola Concerto with the RTVE Symphony Orchestra, broadcast on La 2 TVE. Since then, Villanueva has performed a wide repertoire as a soloist, including over 30 viola concertos from the Baroque era to the present day, with prestigious ensembles such as the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (Gubaidulina), Moscow Soloists (Mozart), Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra (Bartók), Zagreb Soloists (Paganini/Weber), Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra (Berlioz), National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia (Britten/Bruch), Juan José Landaeta Symphony Orchestra (Berlioz), Cuenca Symphony Orchestra in Ecuador (Bartók), Bicentennial Orchestra of Peru (Bruch/J.C. Bach), Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (Bartók), Nuevo León Symphony Orchestra in Mexico (Paganini/Berlioz), National Orchestra of Andorra (Rolla/Hoffmeister), “New Russia” State Symphony Orchestra (Bartók), Cappella of St. Petersburg (Bruch), Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta (Olivero), Lebanese Philharmonic (Khoury), RTVE Symphony Orchestra (Bartók/Walton), Castilla y León Symphony Orchestra (Bartók), Oviedo Filarmonía (Walton), Royal Galician Philharmonic (Walton), Murcia Symphony Orchestra (Mozart), ADDA Symphony Orchestra (García-Abril), Grupo Enigma of Zaragoza (Zárate), Córdoba Orchestra (García-Abril), Navarra Symphony Orchestra (Walton/Berlioz), and the Barcelona Symphony and National Orchestra of Catalonia (Mozart), among many others, under the baton of conductors such as Michel Plasson, Jacek Kaspszyk, Jorge Mester, Paul Daniel, Andres Mustonen, Christian Vásquez, and Lior Shambadal.

She has performed as a soloist in renowned international venues and festivals, including the Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Wigmore Hall in London, Berlin Konzerthaus, Estonia Concert Hall, Société de Musique La Chaux-de-Fonds, Roudaki Hall in Tehran, Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou, Bath Music Festival, Slovenia Philharmonic Hall, Royal Court Theatre in Copenhagen, Gran Teatro Nacional de Lima, Musée d’Orsay in Paris, National Theatre of Costa Rica, Simón Bolívar Auditorium in Venezuela, Rottweil Musikfestival, and most major national venues and festivals, including the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, Palau de la Música Catalana, l’Auditori de Barcelona, Bilbao Philharmonic Society, Quincena Musical de San Sebastián, and Santander Festival.

Her debut album Bohèmes, with pianist François Dumont, received the award for Best Classical Music Album of the Year at the 2018 MIN Independent Music Awards, marking the first time a viola album received this recognition. In 2023, she released Ritual, featuring music for solo viola from Hildegard von Bingen to György Kurtág, earning excellent reviews from specialized media and a nomination for ‘Best Instrumental Solo’ at the prestigious 2024 International Classical Music Awards (ICMA). In 2025, she will present the world premiere recording of Antón García-Abril’s Viola Concerto Cantos de Ordesa with the Heredia Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica.

Since the beginning of her career, Villanueva has been committed to promoting new compositions for the viola, premiering over 20 works and collaborating with contemporary figures such as S. Gubaidulina, G. Kurtág, A. García-Abril, M. Sotelo, G. Khayam, J. Cervelló, H. Khoury, J. Zárate, B. Olivero, and T. Marco. Notable premieres include José Zárate’s Viola Concerto with Grupo Enigma at the Zaragoza Auditorium in 2010, later recorded with the Extremadura Orchestra (Sony Classical 2017). In 2012, she was invited to the 80th-anniversary gala of Sofia Gubaidulina at the Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, performing her Concerto for Two Violas Two Paths with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, she premiered Houtaf Khoury’s Viola Concerto Lost to This World, dedicated to Villanueva, with the Lebanese Philharmonic in Beirut. In 2018, she revived Antón García-Abril’s Viola Concerto Cantos de Ordesa for the first time since its premiere, performing it with the Córdoba Orchestra at the Cádiz Spanish Music Festival.

Throughout her distinguished career, she has received numerous awards, including the 2015 RNE Classical Music “El Ojo Crítico” Award and the 2019 Classical Music Culture Award from the Community of Madrid.

A passionate chamber musician, she collaborates with artists such as the Prazak and Parisii Quartets, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Nikita Boriso-Glebsky, Tedi Papavrami, Olivier Charlier, Victor Julien-Laferrière, Leonard Elschenbroich, Astrig Siranossian, Patrick Messina, Daniel Schnyder, Rafael Aguirre, Iddo Bar-Shaï, Philippe Bianconi, Adam Laloum, and François Dumont.

Isabel’s innovative spirit to bring classical music to new audiences has led her to create multidisciplinary projects with artists such as Rocío Márquez, Moisés Sánchez (RAÍCES 2020), and Antonio Ruz (SIGNOS 2021). In 2018, she launched VIOLA POWER, a cross-disciplinary project dedicated to promoting the viola internationally. She has been invited to perform at the Flamenco On Fire Festival, Venice Biennale, Prix Lumières in Paris, and the Royal Palace of Madrid.

Isabel Villanueva is a viola professor at the Royal College of Music in London and the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona. She is deeply committed to pedagogy and is invited to give masterclasses worldwide, including at the Geneva Conservatory, Stauffer Academy in Cremona, University of Costa Rica, El Sistema in Venezuela, Panamerican University, Escuela Superior de Música de Monterrey, University of Arts in Tehran, Interviolas Festival in Bogotá, Lebanese Higher Conservatory of Music, and the Spanish National Youth Orchestra, among others.

Isabel Villanueva (Pamplona, 1988) began her musical education on the guitar at the age of five and took up the viola at nine. She later studied in London, Siena, and Geneva with masters such as Igor Sulyga, Lawrence Power, Nobuko Imai, and Yuri Bashmet. During her studies, she was awarded numerous prestigious national and international competitions.

Isabel Villanueva plays an Enrico Catenar viola (Turin, 1670) and uses Thomastik-Infeld strings.