Creative and eclectic, Celia's performing career has evolved over more than two decades. Celia's musical studies began with piano at age six, and as a child she appeared in local community theater productions in her hometown of Santa Barbara, Calif. Later, her family moved to Washington D.C., where, as a rebellious teenager, she picked up a guitar and began to imitate great contemporary singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.

In her early career, Celia trained with an award winning experimental company in Boston, Reality Theater. Inspired by that experience and the lively New England folk scene, Celia began to perform original songs with guitar and piano accompaniment on the acoustic/coffeehouse circuit, including performances at Club Passim in Cambridge and the Iron Horse in Northampton - as well as in many cheesy bars.

After returning to voice and musical studies at New England Conservatory, Celia expanded her repertoire to sing jazz, pop, and r&b. She traded in her guitar and began to play with some of the finest musicians in the Boston area. The bars got a little better. In 1991, she traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, to sing six nights a week at the Bamboo Bar at the famous Oriental Hotel (often cited as world's #1 hotel). Her original three-month contract there was later extended to seven months.

In l997, Celia teamed up with accompanist and partner in crime Mark Shilansky to produce an original one-woman show Moving Target. The song weaves together songs from the 60's and 70's by artists such as Cat Stevens, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, and Jesse Colin Young, along with a narrative, to tell a personal story about growing up in the midst of the social turmoil of the period. Moving Target was directed by award-winning director Bill Castellino, and has been performed in Theaters, Schools, and Festivals, including the Cabaret Connection series at The Blacksmith House in Cambridge, MA, the 1999 New England Theater Conference,the 2001 Montreal Fringe Festival, and the Speakeasy Stage in Boston. Moving Target also earned Celia a place on the Massachusetts Cultural Council Artists in the Schools Roster.


In 2001, Celia released her debut CD, Movin' On, with a concert at Johnny D's in Somerville, Mass. The CD features songs from the one-woman show as well as new originals and was produced by Mark Shilansky. It is enhanced by the performances of many fine Boston area musicians.


In addition to her performing career, Celia has an M.A. in theater. She teaches acting and performance skills, and has directed many musical and theatrical productions. (Two of Celia's young students perform a rap on the song 'Get Together' on the new cd). Celia's theatrical sensibilities are reflected in the importance she places in communicating through her lyrics, whether her own or someone else's.