Yvette Cornelia Holzwarth
is a versatile violinist, vocalist, and composer who transcends her Western classical roots to explore a rich tapestry of musical genres, including Eastern European, Arabic, Norwegian hardanger fiddle, Americana, popular, jazz, experimental and improvised music.
Collaborating with an array of artists, Yvette has graced performances and recordings with notable names such as Ariana Grande, Kamasi Washington, Van Dyke Parks, Gaby Moreno, and many others. Her artistic journey has taken her across the USA, Canada, France, Italy, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Guatemala, and Japan.
Teaming up with renowned guitarist Miroslav Tadić, Yvette co-leads a duo project blending Balkan folkloric music with improvisation across various styles. Their debut album "LUKA," released on Croatia Records, received critical acclaim. Yvette is a founding member of the performer-composer collective Desert Quill Quartet and the chamber group Bridge to Everywhere, dedicated to celebrating cultural diversity through interwoven musical traditions.
Under the moniker Yvette Cornelia, she releases original music, starting with her debut EP "Open It Up" (2013) and followed up by the full-length album "What Lies Ahead" (2018). The latter, featuring her nine-piece ensemble, explores the cracks between chamber music, folk, experimental rock, and songwriting.
Residing in Los Angeles, Yvette contributes to numerous Film/TV scores and independent albums. Operating from her home studio, Yvette provides professional and efficient remote recording services, equipped with high-quality condenser mics and proficiency in Ableton Live and Pro Tools. Her expertise spans from solo lines to orchestral string mixes.
As a composer, Yvette thrives on interdisciplinary work — designing sound for theatre productions, working with choreographers and visual artists, and scoring projects for filmmakers and animators. She brings her stage presence as both a vocalist and violinist to performances with the innovative theater company Four Larks. In 2019, she performed in katabasis, their immersive site-specific exploration of the Greek underworld at the Getty Villa; and in 2020, she premiered in their "thrillingly realized" (LA Times) take on Shelley's Frankenstein at The Wallis Center. In 2024, she performs on stage in Timur: The Great Soviet Bucket produced by Beth Morrison Projects at Miami Light Project.
Inspired by her family, Yvette wrote, illustrated, and created an audiobook called "The Chinese Zoodiac Band," a children's book that introduces Mandarin and musical instruments to young children.
From 2017-2018, Yvette curated an adventurous monthly chamber music series, Hear Sunday, in collaboration with the arts nonprofit Clockshop in Frogtown, Los Angeles. In 2013, she lived and worked at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, a permaculture retreat center and small organic farm in West Sonoma County. Holding an M.F.A. in Performance and Composition from the California Institute of the Arts and a Bachelor's in American Literature from UCLA, she currently serves on faculty at Mount Saint Mary's University in Los Angeles.