Isidora Miranda

Isidora Miranda serves as an Assistant Professor of the Practice in Musicology and Ethnomusicology at Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music. Her scholarly work centers on the history of music and theater in the Philippines during the early twentieth century, with particular attention to cultural nationalism and the construction of racial and gendered identities through performance under U.S. colonial rule.

Her academic credentials include a Bachelor of Music from the University of the Philippines, a Master of Music in violin performance and musicology from Western Illinois University, and a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Miranda's research interests are deeply rooted in Musicology and Ethnomusicology, with specialized focus on Philippine music history, colonial-era theater, and gender studies. She examines how performance practices, especially the Tagalog zarzuela, became sites of cultural resistance and identity formation. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges historical musicology, postcolonial theory, and Southeast Asian studies.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent trajectory in Southeast Asian music scholarship, particularly Philippine theater and opera of the early 1900s. Her work on figures like Atang de la Rama and the zarzuela genre has significantly contributed to understanding the interplay of art, politics, and identity in colonial contexts.

Her distinguished record of scholarly recognition includes:

• American Musicological Society's resident fellowship at the Newberry Library
• Mellon Research Fellowship on Original Sources by the Council for Library and Information Resources
• 2022 American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship

Dr. Miranda has secured substantial research funding through these competitive fellowships, which have enabled her archival work and book project on Tagalog zarzuela. Beyond academia, she maintains an active performance career as a violinist with ensembles spanning classical, klezmer, and Brazilian forró traditions, reflecting her commitment to embodied musical knowledge.

Though not leading a formal research laboratory, her collaborative projects with musical groups and her integration of performance practice into scholarship exemplify a holistic approach to music studies.