SARATOGA SPRINGS Saratoga Springs sibling group Zorbas Trio makes magic ...The Daily Gazettehttps://www.dailygazette.com › news › zorbas-triosarato... Saratoga Springs sibling group Zorbas Trio makes magic with their music Lucas Garrett Dec 28, 2024 Updated Dec 31, 2024 Clasping hands and taking a bow with her brother and sister, Callista Zorbas’ heartfelt words of thanks were soon swept aside by a rousing and appreciative round of applause during a midday Christmas concert on Dec. 14. It could’ve been any band performing at that particular First United Methodist Church in Northville, but it wasn’t — it was the Zorbas Trio. The band, composed of Saratoga Springs siblings Callista, 24, Demetra, 21, and John Zorbas, 19, exudes a form of creative magic that needs to be experienced to be properly understood. With Callista’s guitar technique shining through, and Demetra’s ever-solid presence on bass, John’s near-virtuosic level of facility on piano often acts as a linchpin. Adding in warm harmonies from the two sisters, it’s easy to see why concertgoers are turning their heads toward this new band. But where does this creative magic come from? Is it found in genetics? “Our parents are musicians, and our great-grandmother [Ruth Dunphy] was a jazz singer,” John explained in a recent interview. Known to the family as a singer who worked primarily in the New York City area, Dunphy’s exact musical pedigree is somewhat murky. “She was more of a studio musician [but] I can’t seem to find what bands she worked with,” said Colleen Zorbas, mother to the musical trio. The trio’s father, Foti, was in local prog-rock outfit, 3 Deep, a band whose roster included the Capital Region’s late and well-respected Gregory Nash. “Right before Greg passed away, he was going to jam with my kids,” Colleen explained. “He loved [their] song ‘Sundaes’ and wanted to add drums to it.” Unfortunately, the chance never arose before Nash’s death. Hone in on the trio for any length of time, and an element to the story reveals itself that stretches beyond genetics. “It wasn’t completely on their own,” Colleen Zorbas said. “I homeschooled all three of them, and I told them they needed to pick an instrument and try something musically.” Try something musically they did. Though both Demetra and Callista initially started on violin, before landing on their respective instruments of bass and guitar, John took a bit more of a circuitous route, trying a litany of things — including trumpet — before landing on piano. Once the musical itch set in, that was all she wrote. Now, their days are filled with hours of individual practice, as well as hours of band practice. But don’t just take the trio at their word. In a recent conversation, Cliff Brucker, an affiliated artist with Union College in Schenectady, reflected on his time as one of John’s private instructors. “[John] took to this like a fish to water and embraced the [concepts] completely. Not all students do. He was soon playing complicated classical pieces by ear and writing his own music.” The band “got serious two years ago,” John Zorbas said, but various pockets of the local musical community have already started circling around to support them. “It feels like you're just reuniting with kindred spirits,” said Marc Vincent, an advisory board member of The Strand Theatre in Hudson Falls. “Musically speaking, they’re a unique blend. They’re like three separate forces of nature and when they come together to do what they do as a band, you have just this gigantic, creative storm cell.” Reviewing their recent performance at The Strand, this unique blend comes into a clearer focus. Across their four-minute piece “Jack In The Box,” the trio greeted its listeners with a myriad of genres, including blues-pop vocals, blistering piano lines, and meter changes that are highly reminiscent of progressive rock. At times, Callista’s guitar lines bounced off the speakers like rain pinging off glass, while Demetra’s well-supporting bass line propelled the song forward. Aside from their musical aptitude, the Zorbas have a level of authenticity that is born out of pure love and mutual admiration. “We’re all best friends,” John said. “It’s a love fest,” Vincent said, explaining how the trio’s parents are at all of their shows. Often, their mother will be taking photos of their performance while their father helps with the sound board. “They had a real talent right away [that] I could see when they were young,” Colleen said. “I told them — both my husband and I — if you’re going to do something, you’ve got to do it well.” It became quickly evident the trio took the advice to heart, being nominated for a 2024 Eddies Award. Their nomination category of “World Music Artist of the Year” helps to further edify those unfamiliar with the band about their all-encompassing sound. But where does this wide-ranging sense of music originate for the trio? While all three members have their unique interests — classical music, jazz and European gypsy folk, 80's metal, some 60's and 70's rock bands, old country music and bluegrass — much of the technical musical vocabulary is distilled through John. Callista explained how they will sometimes go directly to John to learn more about music theory, and how to apply it to their songs. Adriana Markovska, another of John’s private instructors, corroborated Brucker’s musings. “John was my piano student at the beginning of his musical explorations, studying classical music and learning advanced pieces like Chopin, Beethoven, Debussy, right from the top,” Markovska said. “Very impressive.” Now, with an Eddies nomination under its belt, the band is gearing up for releasing its eponymous debut record. “Our goal is to get it out by spring,” Callista said. “We have our studio here at home, and John is our engineer; he puts it all together.” When it comes to engineering and producing the record, Colleen said, all of what John has done in that regard he learned via YouTube. And while he’s still getting the hang of it, the production values in their currently short repertoire demonstrates sizable growth from one song to the next. Their latest single, “Crown To Hope,” further solidifies their ever-growing and quirky oeuvre. In just two years of fervent practicing, gigging — much of which was done at the Spa City Farmers’ Market, owned by Foti and Colleen — writing, and recording, Zorbas Trio is quickly becoming a name that pops up on more and more folks’ radar. Music often acts as a rare equalizer in life, knocking down barriers — especially generational ones. It can harness an understanding between people that have decades worth of differences and experiences. “It’s been really refreshing to get to know a generation that's out there making something new for the musical creative world that we're all part of,” The Strand’s Vincent said. As much of an equalizer that music tends to be, for many, it’s also a self-contained crucible, fueling passion and desire that seem to come from the very ether itself. “[Music] means pretty much everything to me,” John said. “I love to do it. It’s magic. You’re tapping into something otherworldly.” Defining the relationship between brothers and sisters is often as challenging and mystifying of a task as putting into words the effect that music has on society. Just like kinship, music can be tenuous, while at other times nothing in the world can seemingly match its impact. “Music is art. It's a language that can bring out all kinds of emotions … [and] can heal and transport me to a different place or world,” Callista said. “Sometimes, I'm in the 1400s; sometimes, I am in a fantasy world. When I write music, I extract a part of my soul into it, and sharing that experience with my brother and sister makes it so much more powerful. There is nothing like it, really.” So where exactly does this part of their essence come from? A part that all of the Zorbas siblings are wont to encompass? Can it be rooted in a DNA helix, or found in the mystery of the unknown truths of the universe? “I have been an artist for as long as I can remember, and also have been surrounded and immersed in music as well,” Demetra said. “To me, creating art and music are one in the same. … Being an artist and musician is just a part of who I am.” Terrifically succinct and accurate, music is just a part of who they are.