Biography

Isabelle Meissner Pearson (b. 2000) is a composer, flutist, and pianist whose works cover a wide range, from wind ensemble and orchestra to solo pieces. Born in Bozeman, Montana, much of Isabelle’s music evokes images of landscapes and weather patterns, mimicking the area that she grew up in. The relationship between sound and place is a concept that she enjoys exploring throughout her music. Alongside the natural world, the tie between emotions and music has played a large role in her composition process as well. Here, timbre and interwoven textures seek to bring out certain feelings and memories of defining moments.

Isabelle has written a wide variety of music, spanning large and small groups. Her most recent large ensemble works include Heimweh for the Butte Symphony Orchestra, Gentle Spirits for Orchestra, Earthsong (SATB) for the Aiga Singers, and Old Growth Forest for the OVAA Saxophone Quartet and Wind Band. In addition, works for smaller ensembles and soloists include Ponderosa for Flute and Piano, Where Are You Now for Tenor voice and piano, To Begin Again for Alto Saxophone, Bassoon, Euphonium, Piano, and Cello, and Songs from the Sands for Solo Alto Saxophone.

In addition to writing for a wide range of instruments, Isabelle performs regularly on the flute and piano. She has collaborated with a wide variety of instrumentalists and vocalists for chamber recitals, new music premieres, student recitals, and benefit concerts. She has given four recitals featuring a variety of flute and piano works, as well as her own creations. She has performed with both the Missoula and the Bozeman Symphony, played principal flute with the Montana Youth Symphony, and continues to perform solo recitals currently in her masters degree.

Isabelle holds Bachelor degrees in Music Composition, Piano Pedagogy and Performance, Flute, and German from the University of Montana, and is in her first year of a Masters in Music Composition at James Madison University.