Gina Izzo

About
NY-based flutist Gina Izzo is a trailblazing artist in contemporary music, known for defying conventions and pushing the boundaries of flute performance. Hailed for her "amps-to-11 sound" (John Schaefer, WNYC New Sounds), Izzo integrates improvisation, analog FX, and fearless experimentation to redefine the instrument’s role.
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Far from conventional, Izzo’s 2024 debut album "Tomorrow’s Yesterday," under the moniker ladyybirdd, shatters expectations. Dubbed "the Wild West of solo flute music" (Foxydigitalis) and described as "light years beyond what you’d expect from a solo flutist" (John Schaefer, WNYC New Sounds), "Tomorrow's Yesterday" is a bold exploration of sound. Featuring collaborations with Ambrose Akinmusire, Immanuel Wilkins, Nick Dunston, Ian Rosenbaum, and others, with Joseph Branciforte as co-producer, the album received national recognition, earning a release on Innova Recordings as part of their National Call Awards, a testament to its groundbreaking artistry, innovative vision, and reshaping of the future of flute music.
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Izzo has performed at venues and festivals, including Duke Performances with Steve Coleman and Natal Eclipse, Lincoln Center Out of Doors with Revive Music and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Times Square Arts & REDCAT as part of Charles Gaines' The American Manifest, and The Jazz Standard as part of Ambrose Akinmusire’s The Imagined Savior is Far Easier to Paint. Her performances span Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, David Geffen Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, The Stone, Joe’s Pub, National Sawdust, and the Bang on a Can Festival, among others.
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Recipient of the 2023 Artistic Projects Grantee from Chamber Music America, 2023 Innova Recordings Spring National Call Awardee, and named one of "2021 Women to Watch" by BuzzFeed, Gina Izzo’s accolades underscore her impact in the music world. She was a Finalist for the SAVVY Chamber Competition presented by Southern Exposure, and received the 2016 New Music USA Impact Award. Izzo also earned recognition as a 2015 New Music USA Project Grant recipient and as a 2015 Semifinalist for the Concert Artists Guild.
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Beyond performance, Izzo is a dedicated mentor and advocate for artists. In 2018, she co-founded bespoken with Eunbi Kim, a mentorship organization that has supported over 100+ women and non-binary artists worldwide. She also co-founded RighteousGIRLS in 2010 with pianist Erika Dohi, whose album "gathering blue" received 4.5 stars in DownBeat Magazine.
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Committed to fostering equity and access in the arts, she serves on the Board of Directors for Willie Mae Rock Camp and Music Beyond, Inc., championing initiatives that create transformative opportunities for artists and communities around the world and is on faculty at the College of Performing Arts at the New School.
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Izzo’s recordings can be heard on Innova Recordings, Jagjaguwar, National Sawdust Tracks, Panoramic Records, and New Focus Recordings.
"....rattles speakers and expectations with stop-time razzle, vocal (flute-talk) and electronic (phaser) effects"
- New York City Jazz Records