Isobel Flinn studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music (RMCM) and gained GRSM and ARMCM in both piano and singing. She joined the RMCM as an accompanist and also became an accompanist for the BBC (Manchester). She gave many recitals, specialising in accompanying singers, including on many occasions Elizabeth Harwood. She formed the Helena Trio with Caroline Crawshaw (soprano) and Janet Hilton (clarinettist).

In 1971 Isobel became a member of the Glyndebourne Festival Music staff. She returned to the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) and joined the opera music staff, later becoming Head of Opera Music staff, with responsibility for coaching, the preparation of the weekly schedule and the music preparation for opera and excerpts.

In 1979 she was invited to join the staff of the newly formed National Opera Studio (NOS) as an Assistant Head of Music. She was subsequently appointed as Head of Studies, a post from which she retired in June 2004.

Isobel has worked as a guest coach at the University of Auckland, New Zealad, the Victoria University and the Conservatory of Music in Victoria, British Columbia and the Brisbane Conservatory of Music (Australia).

From 1993-97 she assisted Martin Isepp at the Fondation Royaumont (France) Centre de la Voix as a coach in opera preparation and performance.

Isobel is now a member of the Artistic Committee for British Youth Opera and works as a vocal coach for their annual summer opera season. Currently she is visiting coach at the NOS and RNCM and she also organises and comperes a munber of 'Opera Evenings' with members of the NOS at different venues in the UK.