Music at the Castle - Vikingsholm

Music at the Castle – Vikingsholm.

Friday, July 28, 2023. Music at the Vikingsholm Castle. Tickets are $150 and include the excellent opportunity to drive down into Emerald Bay, parking (a $10 value), a twilight reception of light apps and fine wine, and a live courtyard concert.

This event is sponsored by … vineyard passionate about high-quality wine and art. Our guest musicians talentedly weave a multitude of musical genres that produce a concert one will find hard to forget!

Seating is limited to 40 guests, a reservation is required. Support this unique fundraiser for Vikingsholm Castle and feature your business on all marketing material by becoming a sponsor!

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–Musicians’ bios:
Artists John Metras, Paul DaSilva, and Betsy Bennet Smith will entertain with original compositions, Lisztian piano bravura, vocal selections, classical favorites, and unique and seldom-heard instruments such as the cross-strung harp and pedal steel guitar. And even a few musical surprises! Read more below:

BETSY BENNETT SMITH – Betsy has sung for most of her life. As number seven of eight children, she, like all her siblings, was encouraged to pursue the arts, either by singing, playing piano or acting. At Southwest Texas State University, Betsy sang in several operas and musicals. She played Mrs. Trapes in The Threepenny Opera, was the Narrator for Sweet Betsy From Pike and played Katisha in The Mikado. Betsy sang for many years with both the Austin Lyric and the Fort Worth Opera Companies in Texas. In California, she worked with Golden Gate Opera in the production of Carmen. She was chosen among hundreds of contestants to sing The National Anthem at a San Francisco 49ers game. She most recently worked in the Morris Brobow productions of Megabytes the Musical and Are We Almost There? -The Travel Musical. She is currently a choral section leader at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Ross, CA.

JOHN METRAS – John Metras has played a number of instruments professionally since the 1970s, including the guitar, piano, accordion and harp. As a graduate of the University of San Francisco as a guitar major, he proceeded to obtain a Master’s degree in Music Education from Holy Names College in Oakland and a teaching credential at San Francisco State University. While at U.S.F., John was on the staff as a college guitar instructor where he taught both classes and individuals. John taught music (band, choral, classroom and guitar) in Sonoma County schools for 31 years, has mentored a number of new music teachers, and is certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. In 2004 he won 1st place in the prestigious Lyon & Healy International Jazz and Pop Harpfest in the nonpedal harp division, playing his competitive set on the cross-strung harp. Since then, he has performed and taught at numerous major harp conferences around the country. He has written numerous books of arrangements for the folk harp including four books of classical music and a method for the cross-strung harp. He has also recorded two solo CDs, one on the cross-strung harp and the other on the guitar. With a love for arranging, John has arranged numerous tunes for mandolin orchestra and is an active member of the Gravenstein Mandolin Ensemble. He has expanded instruments now to include the ukulele. 

PAUL DASILVA – Paul DaSilva is freelance pianist, organist and educator. He is a versatile musician comfortable in genres from Bach to Rock. He is a full scholarship recipient from the Mannes College of
Music in New York City and currently teaches theory and piano at Cerritos College. Outside of music, Paul is involved with bird clubs and exhibits exotic birds each year at the county fair. He is also a senior instructor of yoga and has a great love for the outdoors. So far, Paul has visited twenty two National Parks…. “It is my sincere wish and a joy to share music with you.”

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