Izolda has been singing since before she can remember. Her mother, a professional vocalist, sang with her (Izolda sang harmonies) and inspired in her a love of folk and traditional music. Taught by her step-grandfather, she started studying classical violin when she was five. Then, after her family emigrated from Moldova, she played the violin in orchestras, sang in choirs, and discovered musical theatre. In high school, singing with the likes of Andrew Lippa (composer of "the Wild Party") and Jeffrey Seller (producer of Rent), she discovered jazz, specifically a cappella jazz.

After performing in various choirs at the University of Michigan, where she got her BA in English Drama, she moved to Washington, DC and quickly formed an a cappella trio called Fleur-de-Lis. Fleur-de-Lis performed at area clubs and festivals. At this time, Izolda discovered the sheer fun of playing the recorder and has serenaded the boulders at Death Valley and many other places that her travels have taken her. She then joined the percussive, upbeat, Celtic-style world beat folk ensemble, Kiva. She appears on two Kiva albums. She was also a founding member of the band Elemental, a traditional/Celtic with jazz influence band.

In recent years, Izolda finally gave in to the lifelong call of the guitar and she's been thrilled with it ever since. In December 2000 she debuted on guitar at the Cerridwin's Coffeehouse in Silver Spring, MD. She sang her song about one person's experience of the longest night, "Solstice Morn."

A comment on the guitar, "What magic! It's time consuming, and I get lost in it and suddenly two hours have passed and my fingers need a massage, but it's been worth it. I really believe that this is the instrument I was born to play (outside of singing). The rich tones and the unbelievable versatility of the instrument have made me weep on more than one occasion. I perform with a Takamine LTD-99 (the one with the mountain on the Sound hole) and it's just a joy to play."

Up until December 2000, she was playing, singing, and writing with partner Gina DeSimone, and she appears on Gina's first solo release, Drifting. After this point, she began to focus on her solo performance career and began intermittent study of the guitar with guitar virtuoso, Al Petteway. She also began to concentrate on songwriting and using fiddle, guitar, drum, and flutes (often changing from one to the other in the middle of a song) she incorporates innovative instrumentation into her songs.

In April 2001, she began performing solo and has fallen in love with the intimacy of performing to an audience by herself (regardless of the size of the venue). Playing guitar, fiddle, flute, and singing she's excited to share her music. She also teaches voice, violin and flute privately. She enjoys getting her audiences into the act by teaching them songs and rounds that they can all sing together. Recently, she's also begun an exciting new band, called "Folk Nouveau" with the Dianas - Diana McFadden and Diana Sunday and sometimes David Landis - of Kiva and the Bardo Brothers.

After teaching privately for over eleven years, in Autumn 2001, she began teaching a series of "Learn to Sing" workshops and classes and has incorporated an inquiry-based teaching style with traditional vocal technique, aesthetics and mechanics all accomplished in a fun, relaxed, and confidence-inspiring atmosphere. These classes, held under the auspices of the Greenbelt Community Center in MD and the House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park, MD, are intended to help participants discover and develop their voices and find joy in singing. After the classes are over, the students then put their knowledge into practice by performing a class recital at a local cafe. This allows the students to apply the vocal techniques and to get a taste of performing.

The "Learn to Sing" class series garnered rave reviews and increasing success. In the near future, Izolda may begin a new Class 1 in the series. Check back for details.

In addition to the Learn to Sing series, Izolda also teaches "Finding Your Sacred Voice" and "Workin' Harmony" workshops and she is also designing and developing, "Life Lessons Through Music," an innovative creativity and growth project.

The sampler CD (titled: Izolda) is available. It contains solo versions of, "Try Again," "Solstice Morn," and "Homesick For A Memory." Here are portions of the songs.

The Sound the Deep Waters CD was completed and released on June 30, 2003. It is available for purchase here or at amazon.com. The album features her original music plus the oft-requested interpretation of "Scarborough Faire." The album highlights the work of Jim Brewster, Diana McFadden, Diana Sunday, Jeff Sieracki, Janet Morton, and Luis Nasser. A big thanks to all of them for taking time out of their busy schedules to work on this project. Here's a little about the process.

The brand new Russian, Yiddish, and Klezmer CD sampler was released on May 3, 2004. It contains seven songs. Izolda and her Mother have been singing a number of these songs for years, and this is the first time that Izolda has recorded them with guitar accompaniment.

Her musical influences include: Loreena McKennitt, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Firzgerald, The Nudes, Jesse Cook, Peter Gabriel, David Wilcox, Sheila Chandra, Sting, Howard Jones, Itzhak Perlman, Dead Can Dance, musical theatre of all sorts, Renaissance madrigals (and a cappella music of all sorts), ancient music, JS Bach, Mozart, Altan, Solas, On Wings of Song, Libana, the folk music of Eastern Europe and the Middle East and many others.

Non-musical influences (in no particular order) are: The Art Nouveau movement, the Pre-Raphaelite movement, Evelyn de Morgan, Alphonse Mucha, contemporary artists like Sue Coleman, Linda Garland, Hrana Janto, the literary works of Starhawk, Sheri S. Tepper, Patricia Telesco, Julia Cameron, Charles de Lint, Tanya Huff, Marian Zimmer Bradley, Rosemary Edghill, Mercedes Lackey, William Shakespeare, Harold Pinter, George Elliot, Jane Austen, John Webster, William Blake, Keats, Yeats, the Bronte sisters, and many others (more to be added to this list), traveling the world and connecting with the myriad places and people she has met, the beings who share her home, nature in all her glory and Mother Earth.

In March 2004, she got engaged to her longtime partner, Rich. They were wed on the full moon on April 23, 2005. They currently reside in Greenbelt, MD with their four cats, and a house full of musical instruments and juggling implements.