Isabel Williamson

Cellist and string arranger

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65 Reviews (62 Verified)
Isabel Williamson on SoundBetter

I can write and record stunning cello parts to elevate your song to the next level, or score out full string arrangements. Classically trained, with a masters degree from the Royal Northern College of Music, I have extensive experience collaborating with artists and a strong creative instinct for adding exactly what is needed to each song.

I will base my cello parts on your guidance, which can be as specific or as vague as suits you. If your part is already written and just needs recording, I am equally confident transcribing from a voice note/audio, or playing from sheet music. Choose from a single line, or layers of cello to create a rich, full string section sound.

All recordings are done on professional audio equipment in my acoustically treated home studio, and exported as high fidelity .wav files. In addition to the raw stems, I will send a rough mix at every stage so you can hear the cello in the context of the song. To make sure you are completely happy with the arrangement, a revision/edit is included in the price. I record at 48k, 32 bit unless otherwise specified.

For full string arrangements, I can provide MIDI, sheet music and/or full recordings done in collaboration with my fantastic violinist colleague.

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

Endorse Isabel Williamson65 Reviews - 11 Repeat Clients

  1. Review by Joey
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    by Joey
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    Working with Isabel is a always such a pleasure. She is an amazing violinist, a wonderful person and a true professional.

  2. Review by Joey
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    by Joey
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    Another beautiful cello track to accompany my piano piece. Always an absolute pleasure working with Isabel.

  3. Review by block
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    by block
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    excellent work, delivered in a timely manner and percisely to my specifications! a great person to work with and went above and beyond!

  4. Review by Tom G.
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    by Tom G.
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    Isabel was an absolute pleasure to work with. Her tone is rich, expressive and beautifully controlled, with a cinematic depth that elevated both tracks beyond the original mockups. She delivered everything with precision and musical sensitivity, and even offered thoughtful mix feedback that improved the final result. Communication was smooth and turnaround was fast. Highly recommended.

  5. Review by Joey
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    by Joey
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    Isabel delivered such beautiful, expressive cello playing on my track. Her tone and feel brought a real depth and emotion to the piece.

  6. Review by Joey
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    by Joey
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    Isabel’s playing was absolutely beautiful and lifted the piece in the best way. It added sooo much warmth and emotion to the track and I’m stoked with the result!!

  7. Review by Joey
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    by Joey
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    Beautiful cello performance from Isabel, and she sorted the violin part too which made the whole process so easy. Really happy with how it turned out!

  8. Review by Hannes Enkel
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    Isabel is clearly a professional — that much is undeniable.
    Yet it is not always a given that a professional can truly convey feeling, or master their instrument with the humility it requires.
    This is the difference between technical proficiency and a musician who does not misuse music in the service of pop, but treats it with sincerity and respect. She understands.

  9. Review by Matteo B.
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    Working with Isabel was an incredible experience. She is a world-class musician with great sensitivity. She perfectly captured the mood of my song, blending the cello and violin in a way that moved me. The final result exceeded all my expectations. If you want soul and professionalism in your music, she is the one. I will definitely work with her again!

  10. Review by Joey
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    by Joey
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    Isabel is awesome! She provided a beautiful cello accompaniment for my piano piece. A true professional who plays with passion and skill. Very happy to have crossed paths and will be working together again very soon!

  11. Review by Maxwell E.
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    Absolutely beyond phenomenal, I had vague instructions and vibes to go off of with my track and she gave me multiple takes to choose from and just absolutely knocked it out of the park, you're failing yourself if you need cello and don't hire Isabel for your project.

  12. Review by Joss Worthington
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    Isabel has a really fantastic tone to her playing and recording. Quick turnaround and great understanding for what was right for the song.Highly recommend!

  13. Review by Ramita Arora
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    Absolutely beautiful playing! Isabel communicates quickly and clearly as well. I will definitely work with her again.

  14. Review by Lian Dyogi
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    A joy to work with! Easy to talk to and very good takes as well!

  15. Review by Oliver JT Dipre
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    Isabel was very easy to work with, and an excellent musician. The quality of recording is great as well!

  16. Review by Samia T.
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    Isabel is an absolutely fabulous musician an arranger. She brought my song to another level and was also great to work with, communication wise :)

  17. Review by Patrick M.
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    Isabel did an amazing job on my track, lifted the track to the next level!

  18. Review by Daniel J.
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    Isabel has become my preferred cellist for all my projects, and I never stop being amazed at how good the tone and performance is with every recording I get.

  19. Review by Dariush R.
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    Isabel was very professional! She delivered a quality sound recording and her Cello playing was remarkable.

  20. Review by Simon Field
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    Great ideas and recordings, have used before and will use again!

Interview with Isabel Williamson

  1. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  2. A: My main creative project is being a permanent member of the band Bonfire Tide. As well as playing cello and keyboards/backing vocals live, I write all the string arrangements and record the cello parts. The work I'm most proud of to date is the string arrangements on our album, 'Talk Of Being Saved'.

  3. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  4. A: I often write and record multiple layers of cello parts for songs. The cello has such a rich sound and versatile range that by layering up I can achieve the effect of a full string section - without the client having to budget for violinists/viola players.

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St Cloud - Circles

I was the composer, cellist and arranger in this production

Terms Of Service

One revision included
Typical turnaround 2-5 days; same day available for a small extra cost

GenresSounds Like
  • Bonfire Tide
  • Arcade Fire
  • Demi Marriner
Gear Highlights
  • 2008 Alan McGeoch Cello
  • AKG C214 condenser mic
  • CM25 MKII condenser mic
  • DAW - Cubase 13
More Photos
More SamplesCellist and string arranger