Isaac Villaroya (b.1998) is a composer based in Kansas City, MO. He is a recent graduate of the UMKC Conservatory under the instruction of Chen Yi, Yotam Haber, and Paul Rudy.

Intricate up close, yet elegant and straightforward from a distance, Villaroya’s work always seeks to reconcile the detailed with the simplistic. It is from these guiding principles that he has developed a keen sense of style, pace, proportion, and scale. Isaac’s music combines systematic and procedural techniques of the American minimalist movement with Romantic lyricism to create works that feel both mechanical and dramatic at the same time. Dualistic tension is at the heart of Isaac’s music, exploiting opposing polarities in order to achieve a sense of wholeness. From interactive sound installations to pieces that feature non-traditional notation, improvisation, and digital effects, Isaac’s most recent works have been trending towards an experimental direction.

Some notable performances include premieres with the Austin Symphony, SOLI Chamber Ensemble, Latitude 49, and the National Theater Orchestra of Brazil. Most recently Isaac has been selected as the winner of the open orchestral division for the Missouri Composers Project.

His musical life began studying as a young pianist in the small coastal city of Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Immigrating to the United States, he developed a great interest in the ensemble experience — performing in band, orchestra, and choir primarily through the robust music education system offered in Texas public schools where he would attend throughout his early life. Rooted in this aptitude for instrumental study, his musical path would eventually crystallize into a passion for creating original works.