Acclaimed by the New York Times as “radiant”, Filipino-Cuban-American soprano Vanessa Isiguen is thrilled to begin the 2025-26 season at The Metropolitan Opera as Mimì (cover) in LA BOHÈME under the baton of Keri-Lynn Wilson.  She will also return in the spring to cover the role of Catrina for the premiere production EL ÚLTIMO SUEÑO DE FRIDA Y DIEGO by Gabriela Lena Frank and librettist Nico Cruz, conducted by Metropolitan Opera’s music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Ms. Isiguen will perform with the Seattle Symphony as the soprano soloist in a chamber concert series presentation of VEDEM by composer Lori Laitman with the Northwest Boychoir. 

Recently, Ms. Isiguen covered Liù  in TURANDOT  at The Metropolitan Opera conducted by Maestro Marco Armiliato and Oksana Lyniv, and the dual role of Kitty/Vanessa in the world premiere of THE HOURS by Kevin Puts with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Kensho Watanabe.   She began the 2024-25 season with an exciting role debut as SUOR ANGELICA, and Lauretta in GIANNI SCHICCHI with Opera Idaho, and performed her signature role of Mimì in LA BOHÈME  with Opera Maine conducted by Maestro Eckart Preu.  Driven by a deep passion for new music, she made her San Diego Symphony debut as Nila in the chamber opera TRES MINUTOS by composer Nicolas Benavides and librettist Marella Martin Koch, and returned to Seattle Symphony’s Music of Remembrance as the soloist in the world premiere of  TRIBULATIONS by Portuguese composer Luís Tinoco.

Previously, Ms. Isiguen made her debut in the title role of MADAMA  BUTTERFLY with Lyric Opera of Ireland, and performed with Orpheus PDX as Almera in DARK SISTERS by Nico Muhly which garnered high praise by OperaWire: “Vanessa Isiguen as Almera was resolute in her devotion to the prophet as her  soprano soared thrillingly…”    Ms. Isiguen made her New Orleans Opera debut as Mimì LA BOHÈME with Maestro Joseph Colaneri and reprised the role with Eugene Opera.  She enjoyed concert engagements as the soprano soloist in Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Oregon Symphony, and Portland Youth Philharmonic.

Ms. Isiguen made her Florida Grand Opera debut as Cio-Cio-San in MADAMA BUTTERFLY garnering praise from Palm Beach Arts, “Isiguen’s Butterfly was moving and beautifully sung… she has a big fresh voice with plenty of stamina for an opera that requires her almost constant presence, and serious acting chops that made her lovable, believable, and tragic on the stage…the performance was a triumph, and the audience loved her.” She was subsequently featured as a soloist at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, UK singing the famous aria ‘Un bel dÌ, vedremo’, with Maestro Nicola Luisotti for the Insights Program Concert.

Other notable engagements include the starring soprano role of Roberta Alden in An American Tragedy by Tobias Picker and librettist Gene Scheer with Glimmerglass Opera. She was thrilled to be featured by The New York Times in a video clip depicting her singing at the beginning of the eerily famous drowning scene. New York Arts wrote, “Vanessa Isiguen, Roberta, was completely convincing as the tragic heroine both vocally and dramatically”, and Classical Voice America described Vanessa as, “A strong, well rounded soprano who sang the fiendishly high and difficult role easily.” She also sang the role of Spirit at the Metropolitan Opera workshop of THE SORROWS OF FREDERICK by Scott Wheeler, conducted by Steven Osgood, and the New York City premiere of the Spanish opera IL POSTINO by Daniel Catán as Beatrice Russo.

Vanessa made her debut with the Oregon Symphony as a featured soloist under the baton of Maestro Carlos Kalmar, and her Portland Opera debut as Mimì in LA BOHÈME with Maestro George Manahan to rave reviews. Opera News boasts, “Vanessa Isiguen brought to Mimì good looks, a lovely soprano, and loads of personality… ‘Si, mi chiamano Mimì’ had variety and nuance from spinto bloom to light chatter.” Vanessa was scheduled to return to Portland Opera in the 2020 season as Nedda in PAGLIACCI and after COVID-19 cancellations, she performed the aria ‘Dis-moi que je suis belle’ from Massenet’s THAÏS in the Portland Opera Virtual Benefit Concert.

Ms. Isiguen has performed with The Metropolitan Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Portland Opera, Sarasota Opera, Opera Tampa, Vashon Opera, Opera Idaho, and Eugene Opera. She has won top prizes from Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, The Gerda Lissner Foundation NYC, Connecticut Opera Guild, Jenny Lind Competition, and the Bel Canto Competition. Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Music from UNC Chapel Hill, a Master of Music from Boston Conservatory, and a Professional Studies in Opera Diploma from Mannes College of Music - The New School in New York City where she studied with the revered soprano Ruth Falcon.