MLA Events - Classical Music

Pianist Angela Takeishi, a resident of Napa Valley for nearly 10 years, has played at winemakers homes and estates, resorts and several wineries, including Auberge du Soleil, Meadowood Resort, Culinary Institute of America and Neibaum Coppola Winery. Her musical style represents the nuances of fine wine and the romantic images and feelings which wine country offers to visitors.

Davis Ramey has been a leading guitarist in San Francisco and Northern Calfornia for over 20 years. He is equally accomplished in the jazz and classical fields. Davis' jazz and pop credits include performances with Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Gregory Hines, Mark Isham, Debbie Allen, and Michael Feinstein. Davis also specializes playing with duos, trios, and quartets.

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Heather Paschoal is a consummate harpist who has played thousands of engagements, including symphony and orchestra appearances, weddings, receptions, and for the finest restaurants. She has played professionally in the San Francisco Bay Area for nineteen years, most recently in The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco. She holds a degree in pedagogy, and is a skilled and enthusiastic teacher. Heather Paschoal's refined style and versatile repertoire are an excellent addition to a variety of venues.

Heather loves to perform, and is happiest when playing for others. She believes that the harp is a very special instrument, and wants to make accessible to everyone its many wondrous traits. Her style is very eclectic and includes classical, Latin, jazz and pop. She has spent many years refining her act, and always provides a beautiful and elegant performance.

Heather Paschoal Music Samples

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The San Francisco Saxophone Quartet, playing from memory, uses transcriptions of classical music from all eras along with original compositions. Arrangements make use of the four saxophones, or three saxophones plus piano or harpsichord. As impressive as each member is in solo performance, it is the ensemble that is truly magnificent. Somehow these four saxophones manage to sound like a much larger assemblage, one including the sounds of oboes, trumpets, french horns, violins, and more. The effect is magical and gloriously musical.

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Michelle Sell, Harpist.

Whether it be wedding music, event music for a fund raiser, Michelle can play as a soloist or with flute, cello, bass, guitar, violin, or saxophone. Classical flute and harp are beautiful accompaniments for your wedding ceremony, while soprano saxophone, bass guitar, and harp are fabulous for your lively "jazzy" wedding reception.

Michelle Sell enjoys an extremely active career as a professional harpist. Since 1977, Michelle has played an average of 150-200 professional engagements per year.

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Terry Disley was born in London October 1956. He studied Pianoforte and theory of music at the Salterton School of Music from the age of 9 –18. He studied piano for 12 years studying classical repertoire, as well as jazz, composition, harmony and arranging for 10 years. In 1982 Terry and his group Macondo received the award for Best Jazz Musician’s of the year from the Greater London Arts Association.

He started composing at age 11 and by 13 was writing for his own electric/acoustic chamber group. Terry has gone on to write for a multitude of ensembles. Including string quartets, electronic contemporary dance music, jazz big band, ambient new age music and contemporary pop songs. In 1997 he composed the music for the motion picture ‘Snitch’, a Ted Demme film which premiered at the Sundance film festival.

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Distinguished as a teacher and performer, Lawrence Ferrara is the first guitarist to receive a master's degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His teachers have included Julian Bream, George Sakellariou and Michael Lorimer. He has taught previously at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz. Currently in addition to being a full time professor at City College of San Francisco where he teaches guitar, music history and music appreciation, he also teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he teaches guitar, guitar ensemble and pedagogy.

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The Brassworks Quintet, with its large classical and popular repertoire, is the perfect choice for wedding ceremonies large and small, indoors or outdoors. The Quintet works wonderfully with organ in a church or cathedral setting, delivering a majestic sound that will make your wedding day memorable. The Brassworks Quintet got its start as the Strolling Brass at Great America Amusement Park in Santa Clara in 1983. The Quintet strolled throughout the Park, playing a variety of lively music for the crowds. The strolling/marching format has remained one of the group's specialties, making them effective entertainers at festivals, street fairs, parades, civic events and parties.

Mark Abdilla is a concert guitarist who grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. Although he was originally influenced by pop-rock music, Mark fell in love with the soothing beauty of the Renaissance Baroque and classical genre while earning his bachelors degree at San Francisco State University.

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The Marin String Quartet is the standard String Quartet format consisting of two violins, viola, and cello. Repertoire includes the string quartet literature of composers Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert. We also have extensive numbers of transcriptions and arrangements of other Classical and Baroque literature, lively waltzes from the Blue Danube to selections by the Beatles to Tangos to Broadway tunes from beloved shows. The Quartet gives you the greatest range and selection of repertoire and we have seen guests at weddings and parties dance to our music! By far the Quartet is their most popular request, however, they do also offer trios, duos, and solo performances.

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Quartet Source is a traditional classical string quartet comprised of two violins, one viola and one cello. They started performing as a group over 15 years ago and have acquired an extensive library of music along the way. They have provided music for hundreds of weddings and many other occasions.

They have everything you need for your event. They have hours of classical music from Mozart to Beethoven. They have collected a large amount of Broadway tunes and very cool arrangements of a variety of rock & roll. They also have the traditional and some alternative music for your wedding ceremony.

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