Education
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Isabella has always been a musician since childhood, and is now carrying that passion into new ventures and areas of exploration. It is her goal to share her love and knowledge of choral music and singing with her community to create a foundation for meaningful shared experiences.
Isabella Custino is a choral conductor, educator, and vocalist born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a California state certified K-12 music teacher and graduated Cum Laude from the University of Southern California where she received a BA in Choral Music and a Minor in Music Production. Isabella is also working toward her MA in Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University which she will complete in Summer 2023. Isabella has recently taken two positions in the Bay Area for the 2023-2024 season. She is the new Allegra Director at the Peninsula Girls Chorus, the organization with which she started her choral education. She is also the new Primary Group Director with the Ragazzi Boys Chorus. It is a true honor for her to be in the Bay Area Youth Choral scene as an educator after being a participant throughout childhood. Isabella has a wealth of experience as an educator and liturgical musician. It is important to her that music be accessible to youth and that music programs receive the funding and respect that they deserve in our school systems. She taught TK-8th grade general music at St. Mark School in Venice, CA and is the former Adult Choir Director for the adjoined St. Mark Parish. Before she graduated from USC, Isabella also served for two years as the Music Ministry Intern at the USC Caruso Catholic Center and was a part of the USC Thornton Community Engagement Program. This program focused on providing music extracurriculars to elementary and middle school classes and music appreciation to Pre-K students; all in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Along with teaching, Isabella has a strong passion for the choral arts and performing in choral ensembles. During her time at USC, Isabella was a member of the prestigious USC Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe. While in the Chamber Singers, she participated in numerous projects such as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Carl St. Clair, Considering Matthew Shepard with Craig Hella Johnson, and Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna in celebration of his retirement. She was also the Conducting Intern for the Orange County Women’s Chorus under the direction of Eliza Rubenstein. With these ensembles, she has performed at various venues such as Desert Trip with the Rolling Stones and Walt Disney Concert Hall as well as touring to destinations like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Carnegie Hall in New York. Outside of her profession, Isabella enjoys traveling, cooking, and songwriting. She is excited to be back home in the Bay Area after spending her first 8 years of adult life in Los Angeles. |