Isaiah Musik-Ayala marries a handsome stage presence and innate musicality with a "mellifluous" (San Jose Mercury News), "room-filling" (SF Station Reviews), and "solid bass-baritone" (New York Times).

 

Isaiah most recently sang Baron Duphol in La Traviata with Savannah Opera. Earlier this year, he performed in Opera Tampa's The Marriage of Figaro after singing a "powerful" Oroveso (Mercury News) in Norma with West Bay Opera in California. He sang Basilio in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia in Tel Aviv, and performed Jochanaan with "steely authority" (SF Classical Voice) in a "daring" (Mountain View Voice) co-production of Salome with West Bay Opera and the Escenia Ensemble of Mexico City. 

Earlier in the season he returned to Opera San Jose for Silent Night, a modern opera set in World War I, before "bringing a burly and resonant tone to the role of Desdemona’s father, Elmiro," (New York Times) in Rossini's rarely-performed Otellowith Loft Opera in New York City.

Isaiah started the season reprising Figaro "with boyish charm" (SF Classical Voice) in Le nozze di Figaro with West Bay Opera.

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Isaiah performed as the Bonze in Madama Butterfly with North Shore Music Festival on Long Island, after singing another Figaro as a Professional Fellow with the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, as well as a Banquo (cover) and Doctor in the Opera Company of Middlebury's production of Macbeth.

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In recent seasons, Isaiah covered two kings at Sarasota Opera, Il Re in Aida, and Federico Barbarossa in La battaglia di Legnano, to complete their Verdi Cycle, 28 years in the making.  He also covered Colline in Sarasota's Fall 2015 production of La bohème.

 

Isaiah sang Zaretsky and covered Prince Gremin in Chautauqua Opera’s latest Eugene Onegin, as well as singing the Doctor and covering Banquo in their Macbeth.  Other recent engagements include Basilio in On Site Opera’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Paisiello), Gazella in Loft Opera’s Lucrezia Borgia, and he performed as an Apprentice Artist with the Caramoor Music Festival.

 

Isaiah was a finalist in the 2013 and 2014 Irene Dalis Vocal Competitions. 

 

His 2012-13 season included Escamillo in Carmen with Opera San Luis Obispo, Simone in Gianni Schicchi and Frank in Die Fledermaus with Opera San Jose, Raimondo in Lucia di Lamermoor with West Bay Opera, Colline in La bohème with Hidden Valley Music under the baton of Stewart Robertson, and a recital with the Beverly Hills Recital Series.

 

An alum of Irene Dalis’ Resident Artist ensemble at Opera San Jose, Isaiah’s many roles with the company include his first Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, Count Des Grieux in Manon, his first Don Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia)  and first Colline (La bohème), the Sacristan in Tosca, and Alexei Karenin in the West Coast Premiere of Anna Karenina.

 

Other performance highlights include Ramfis (Aida), Baron Duphol (La Traviata), Pistola (Falstaff), Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), the Commendatore, and Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte).

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Isaiah is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, where he studied with the late Richard Miller.