Isaac Ismael Cortijo (b.2005) is a Jewish Puerto Rican-American composer, conductor and pianist born and based in Brooklyn, New York. He’s pursuing his undergraduate degree in classical composition at The Juilliard School where he has studied with Valerie Coleman, Amy Beth Kirsten, David Serkin Ludwig and Nina Young. Isaac has received performances of his music across North America and has worked with leading artists and ensembles such as DeCoda Chamber Ensemble, Alex Sopp, The New York Youth Symphony, Interlochen Arts Academy Wind Ensemble and others. Isaac enjoys writing solo, chamber and orchestral music, and especially likes composing for his friends and people he’s close to.

As a conductor, he’s worked and performed with orchestras across the US, Canada and Europe, most notably the Athens Philharmonia Orchestra and Orchestre Metropolitan. Isaac has studied conducting with Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Kensho Watanabe and Michalis Economou.

Isaac teaches composition, music theory and piano privately and is taking more students. Outside of his musical studies, Isaac loves cooking, watching movies, drawing and petting his wonderful dogs.