Lisa Moscatiello

Folk singer Lisa Moscatiello has drawn praise from numerous quarters, including glowing write ups in Dirty Linen magazine and endorsements from well-regarded DJs on the folk music scene. Especially striking is the obvious regard given the vocalist by the Washington Area Music Awards. Moscatiello has been honored with almost two dozen WAMMIES over the course of her career, including one in the category of Contemporary Folk Album of the Year for Innocent When You Dream, her debut. In addition, the Maryland State Arts Council bestowed a vocal performance grant on Moscatiello. The singer was raised in Arlington, VA, by parents who appreciated a wide range of music. They were just as likely to expose their daughter to the folk songs of such artists as Joan Baez and Peter, Paul, & Mary as the classical strains of Puccini or the vocal stylings of Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan. Moscatiello, drawing a good deal of inspiration from a group called the Irish Tradition, started her musical journey when she was 16 and singing lead vocals for Ceoltoiri. With Karen Ashbrook and Sue Richards, she performed traditional Irish songs starting in 1982. Two years later, Moscatiello entered Yale, where she studied history. She also became a voice student with the university’s Jill Soltero. In addition, during this period she became a member of Red Hot & Blue, an a cappella outfit that performed a mixture of jazz and classic pop. In 1989, a year after graduating from Yale, she joined the New St. George. The British folk-rock group put out High Tea in 1994, a year before disbanding. Moscatiello broke out as a solo artist in 1996 with the release of Innocent When You Dream. She followed up in 2000 with Second Avenue. Moscatiello also sings with Arthur Loves Plastic and Whirligig, the former a techno venture and the latter a Celtic fusion outfit. Her appearances include stops at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the Newport Folk Festival, and the Winnipeg Folk Festival. ~ Linda Seida