With a rich, powerful voice and undeniable stage presence, Isabel Leonard has carved out a place as one of today's most acclaimed mezzo-sopranos, and her journey is still unfolding. Born in the United States but deeply connected to her Argentine heritage, Leonard has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including three GRAMMY Awards.
"I love beautiful melodies, good beats, different genres, and so on. Good music is good music, and I'm happy to listen to it all."
Though raised in New York, Isabel's mother hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina, something that she's deeply proud of. Isabel's heritage has influenced her personality and shaped her artistic identity; she speaks fluent Spanish and French, talents that have helped her in her work and in connecting with global audiences.
Isabel's artistic foundation is as strong as her vocal range. She began training in the children's choir of the Manhattan School of Music, studied at the renowned LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, and continued at the Juilliard School before training with Joffrey Ballet.
Her voice has graced some of the most prestigious stages in the world, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Paris National Opera, the Bavarian State Opera, and the iconic Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. She has also performed alongside renowned orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Boston Symphony Orchestra.
One of the most memorable moments of her career included touring alongside legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli.
In 2013, Isabel received the Richard Tucker Award, one of the highest honors in opera. She has won two GRAMMYs for Best Opera Recording, for Thomas Adès’ "The Tempest" (2014, Deutsche Grammophon) and "Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges" (2016, Decca). She also won a GRAMMY for Best Classical Compendium for "From the Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke."
"I've always loved singing and really loved the theater. It seemed like the right thing to do! The sets, costumes, everything about playing 'pretend', so to speak. It can be so freeing sometimes."
In 2025, Isabel returned to the Metropolitan Opera to reprise the role of Rosina in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia," one of the most iconic roles in opera history. This performance earned her the Maria Callas Debut Artist Award in 2013. "It's always a joy to return to a role. It's common in opera to perform the same role multiple times across different productions and houses. Over time, your personal and professional experiences naturally inform your interpretation," she told ¡HOLA!
And if 2025 has been a banner year for Isabel's career, 2026 promises even more. In the upcoming Met season, she will take on two major roles in "El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego"—portraying both Carmen and the iconic Frida Kahlo.
"New York has such a large and important Latin community, and I've always believed it's the arts' responsibility to reflect that community on stage. The arts are a beautiful way to give voice to every human being. Singing is such a primal form of communication—it's perfect," she said, portraying the cultural icon.