Geoffrey Castle
Geoffrey Castle | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jeff Sick |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Violinist |
| Known for | Specialized in 6-string electric violin |
Geoffrey Castle is a musician and violinist based in Kirkland, WA. Castle is a pioneer on the electric six-string violin[1][2] who endeavors to change people's preconceived notions of what is possible on a violin by playing everything from Hendrix to Celtic to Bluegrass to Mozart.[3][4]
Musical Career
Castle began playing violin at age 9 in New York City.[5] He studied privately and performed in school orchestras, all-city and all-state orchestras, and even in his high school marching band in Alexandria, Virginia before striking out on his own on the electric violin at the age of 17. Castle began developing his style as a street musician while attending Columbia University where he received a Cum Laude degree in English and Comparative Literature.[6][7]
Castle has released seven albums on his own Twisted Fiddle Music label and four albums as a member of Children Of The Revolution.[8] As a session player he has contributed to countless projects, big and small.[9][10]
Castle has played in productions as varied as the Broadway production of M. Butterfly to sharing the stage with members of YES, Heart and Queen.[11][12] Additionally, Castle has performed with musicians from Ghana, Iraq,[13] Iran, India, Mexico, and Cuba, and since 2011 has been playing concerts with Lucy Wu, jinghu player and singer from the Beijing Opera, in an innovative "East Meets West: Violin Meets Jinghu" collaboration.[14]
Castle's "Celtic Christmas" and "St. Patrick's Day Celebration" concerts are highlights of the season and sell out theaters throughout the Northwest.[15][16][17]
As bandleader and solo artist, Geoffrey Castle's music been featured on radio and TV across the US, and his violin work has graced multiple movie and TV soundtracks.[18] Castle's diverse appeal is reflected in the variety of formats that have featured him: NPR, Hard Rock, Country, and Smooth Jazz stations have all featured Castle's music.[19]
Education and community outreach are priorities for Castle, whose schedule includes performances and workshops at schools around the United States, inspiring children to dream big, think outside the box, and play music, while raising funds for their music programs.[20] Castle, along with 400 members of school orchestras in the Seattle area, set a world record for the most string players under one roof.[21][22][23]
Castle is married to artist Shannon Connor Castle.[24]
Discography
Solo Albums
- Groovalaya (1992)
- Street of Dreams (1995)
- New World (as Guarneri Underground) (1996)
- Captive (as Guarneri Underground) (1998)
- Wander This World (as Guarneri Underground) (2001)
- Mist on the Mountain (2006)
- Underhill's Angel: A Treasury Of Songs For The Season (2007)
- Streets of Inwood (2009)
- Live at the Triple Door 2009 (2009)
- Live at the Triple Door 2010 (2010)[25]
- The Deep Well Sessions Vol 1 & Vol 2 (2012)
Contributing Musician
- Children Of The Revolution: It's All Greek To Me (2002)
- Children Of The Revolution: Chapter One (2003)
- Children Of The Revolution: Liberation (2003)
- Children Of The Revolution: Life, Love & Guantanamo Bay (2006)
- Children Of The Revolution: Children Of The Revolution (2008)
DVDs
- Live at the Triple Door (2009)
- The Deep Well Sessions (2012)
References
- ^ "Electric violinist Geoffrey Castle". Alaska Dispatch News.
- ^ "Geoffrey Castle:Violin Rocks at Butte Elementary". Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.
- ^ "Twisted fiddler Geoffrey Castle transforms violin". WSU News.
- ^ "Enjoy amazing 6-string violin music from Geoffrey Castle Thursday night". The B-Town.
- ^ "Geoffrey Castle's A Celtic Christmas Celebration". Constant Contact.
- ^ "Heart, Art & Soul: Castle headlines elementary school art program benefit - Journal of the San Juan Islands". Journal of the San Juan Islands.
- ^ "Geoffrey Castle's Electric Violin Sings an Unexpected Tune". Patch.com.
- ^ "Star bangled banner deep well sessions geoffrey castle". EsBuzz.
- ^ "'A treasury of songs' for the season: Geoffrey Castle's "Underhill's Angel"". GeneStout.com.
- ^ "Geoffrey Castle inspires with his music". Woodinville Weekly.
- ^ "A&E briefs - Dec. 16, 2015". Sequim Gazette.
- ^ "Geoffrey Castle Benefit Concert". Kirkland Performance Center.
- ^ "'Revolution' -- a tight band with members from all over the map". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
- ^ "Electric Violinist Geoffrey Castle at Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, Snohomish". News of Mill Creek.
- ^ "Geoffrey Castle's Celtic Christmas comes to Everett". The Herald.
- ^ "Free live jazz: Electric violin maestro Geoffrey Castle". Federal Way Mirror.
- ^ "Legendary Violinist Geoffrey Castle to Perform Benefit for the Kittitas Valley Youth Orchestras". Cwu.edu.
- ^ "Geoffrey Castle Our Own Eastside Resident Organically Climbs The Ladder Of Musical Success". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
- ^ "Geoffrey Castle Performs". Northwest Prime Time.
- ^ "Violinist to perform benefit concert at CWU". Daily Record.
- ^ "It's official: String Jam '10 earns Guinness World Record for largest string ensemble under one roof". Redmond Reporter.
- ^ [http://www.academicentertainment.com/violinrocks "Violin Rocks!" "Academic Entertainment, Inc"
- ^ "Fiddler Geoffrey Castle brings Celtic holiday to WSU". WSU News. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ^ "Geoffrey Castle's 6th Annual Celtic Celebration". Kirkland Performance Center.
- ^ "SMI Featured Artist of the Month (June): Geoffrey Castle Triple Door Show Review (SMI Radio interview & SMI TV video) - SMI (Seattle Music Insider)". SMI.
External Links
- Geoffrey Castle Website
- "Violin Rocks!". Academic Entertainment, Inc.