Bio

Isaac Dorio is a pianist, conductor, and educator currently pursuing degrees in music and anthropology at Cornell University. His unique academic path has allowed him to engage in a broad range of academic and extracurricular activities, contributing to his diverse skill set and intellectual growth.

Isaac has studied the piano since the early age of 3. Currently studying under the mentorship of pianist Dr. Xak Bjerken, Isaac has performed as a soloist in numerous recitals and events hosted by Cornell’s music department, including the Charles Ives Festival, the Center for Historical Keyboards Salon, and in a recent masterclass with renowned pianist Jonathan Biss. He is also a passionate collaborative pianist, regularly performing with instrumentalists and vocalists at Cornell as well as Ithaca College. Recently, Isaac performed in a vocal masterclass with Ana Maria Otamendi and Elena Lacheva, professors of collaborative piano at the University of Michigan, for Cornell’s Latin American music residency.

Isaac is also an accomplished conductor, currently studying under Dr. James Spinazzola. He serves as the music director for Cornell’s musical theater productions, having recently directed and conducted Company and Spring Awakening. He also works as a vocal coach for musical theater and serves as a collaborative pianist for vocalist Erica Steinhagen’s vocal studio.

In his academic pursuits, Isaac is currently working on his senior honors thesis; a semi-staged production of Sweeney Todd that will situate musical theater as a socially constructed field where meaning is negotiated between participants in an ongoing and evolving process of learning. By drawing from intercollegiate collaborations across Cornell and Ithaca College, the project will explore how interdisciplinary endeavors can foster collaboration and connection across differences and serve as a vehicle for social change.

Outside of his academic and professional endeavors, Isaac enjoys spending time with his extensive plant collection in Naples, rock climbing, running, and cooking meals for family and friends.