Isabella Isza Wu’s work focuses on exploring the ways in which music can create transformative experiences for audiences, community engagement, and education. She is interested in understanding how audiences relate to music and creating immersive experiences through the pipe organ.

Isza (pronounced EYEsa) currently serves as an Grand Court Assistant Organist at Macy’s Wanamaker Organ, the largest fully functioning organ in the world; and as the Organ Scholar at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia.

She has performed at many venues, including Longwood Gardens, Ocean Grove Auditorium, Overture Hall, St. Luke's Episcopal Church (IL), Alice Millar Chapel (IL), St. Philip’s Cathedral (Atlanta), Central Synogogue (NYC), Christ Church (Philadelphia), and Ursinus College. She has also been a featured performer at the 2023 AGO Midwest Regional Convention. Isza was recently named to the OHS E. Power Biggs Scholar Class of 2024. 

As a teacher and community artist, Isza has taught and interned at several music education programs. These include programs at the Madison Symphony Orchestra, The People's Music School (Chicago), and the Northwestern Academy of Music and Special Education. She currently works with patients and caregivers at the Penn Memory Center as a teaching artist.

Isza began studying organ at age 19 at Northwestern University through non-major lessons. Since then, she has studied with leading organists across the world. This past summer, Isza attended the Haarlem Organ Academy, studying improvisation with Monika Melcova. Previous programs include the Oregon Bach Festival and the Oberlin Summer Organ Institute.

Although her career has been focused in the realm of keyboard music, Isza draws upon a broad musical and educational background and has a background in piano, organ, violin, voice, and percussion studies. As a pianist, she has soloed with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra, and won awards at the Midwest Young Artists National Concerto Competition, Bolz Young Artist Competition, and Milwaukee Chopin Competition, among others. She is the recipient of two Bachelor’s degrees from Northwestern University, in Piano Performance and Communication Studies, respectively, and also completed an ad hoc major in Sacred Music. Her underground training also included extensive coursework in vocal education and conducting.

Equally at home in choral music, Isza sang with the Alice Millar Chapel Choir, performing major works including Handel's Laudate Pueri Dominum (soloist), Haydn's Missa in honorem Beatissimae, Puccini's Messa di gloria, and Stacy Garrop’s Terra Nostra, alongside the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra and on WFMT. As a keyboard collaborator for choral music, Isza has worked with The Crossing on their recent project, David T. Little's Sin-Eater, and currently serves as accompanist to the Collegium Musicum at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Her mentors include Alan Morrison, Leon Schelhase, Jeffrey Brillhart, Mary Javian, and Eric Budzynski. Isza currently resides in Philadelphia, where she is pursuing her master’s degree in Organ Performance at the Curtis Institute of Music under the Charles and Judith Freyer Fellowship.