I first met Callista, Demetra, and John Zorbas at the Spa City Farmers Market in early 2017. I was there working on a story for a Virginia magazine about the history of farmers' markets and their migration from California to New York.

John was around 11, I think, and timid. I still have a photo of him standing in the crook of his mother’s arm—super cute kid. The sisters were standing in front of a display of their artwork, which was exceptional. There are so many outstanding, sensitive youth out there in the world today; I love it when I have a chance to get to know them. I asked if I could interview Callista and Demetra, and my subsequent story came out in the Saratoga Mama Spring issue that same year.     

I remember thinking the girls would make something big of themselves one day, and I wrote that people should keep an eye on the family to see what they were up to over the next several years. I was betting on their success.

It didn’t take that long, though. ‘The Adventures of Snow White and Rose Red,’ a TV series, was released on Amazon Prime in June 2018 and filmed in and around Saratoga. Callista played Rose Red, while Demetra played Snow White. Sisters in real life playing sisters on screen – what are the chances? “It was magical and so much fun!” They told me when I sent a message on Facebook to congratulate their stardom. “We filmed all around the Capitol Region, at many homes out in the country – even at our own house,” the girls shared. Snow White has dark hair, and Demetra fit the part to a tee, landing the part easily. “I think because I’m more of an introvert, which kinda matched Snow White’s persona.” And Calista, who has blonde hair, and might have been the natural choice for Snow White because of that alone, landed Rose Red’s part instead. “I think because my personality is so bubbly,” she explained. "Whatever the reason, we had a blast!" Maybe next time they land an acting gig, there will be a part for John, too.  

Photo by Theresa St. John

Fast-forward to 2025. I saw on social media that the trio had been working together over the past couple of years creating a band, and that a new album had just come out. What? I knew it was time to talk to them again. Were these three young people truly this talented? It seemed like everything they put their hand to, came to pass in a positive way. I asked if they could chat with me in person at Mrs. London’s – a fantastic Parisian-style café on Broadway.

I didn’t realize they’d never been there before, and their reactions were sweet. Talk about wide-open, big eyes. “This place is amazing!” Callista exclaimed after we hugged each other. “Gosh, I want one of everything!” Demetra said in a quieter tone. “Man, is this for real?” John asked, peering into glass cases that held an assortment of pastries, sandwiches, macarons, cakes, and fruit tarts. “I mean it, are these real things we’re looking at?” I had to laugh. I love bringing people here – it’s one of my favorite places to conduct an interview or catch up with an old friend. I assured them that, yes, everything was freshly made, and I watched them order specialty coffees, sandwiches, and desserts before ordering a Vanilla Latte for myself.

We talked about their music and how it had come about organically. The threesome always loved singing together, had their first gig in 2019, but hadn’t really gotten laser-focused on it until 2022 - 2023. “That’s when we looked at each other and said we all love music and singing, let’s do it together,” Callista said over the rim of her coffee cup.

“Music was such a huge part of our lives; we were all passionate about singing and open to feedback from people willing to listen as we grew,” Demetra piped in. “We’re grateful for that.” 

Callista plays the guitar, Demetra plays bass, John plays the piano and kick drum, and they all do vocals.

When I asked how long it takes them to create a song from start to finish, they told me about a month. The trio writes their own songs and music, and piecing it together takes the longest. They bounce ideas off of each other and respect one another’s input. “We’re not afraid to say that a part of the song doesn’t make sense,” John stated. He’s taking a nanosecond break from the fennel salami sandwich he ordered with his latte. Which he loved, by the way. “Working together has been great; we all want the track to be the best it can be before we put it out in the world for our followers. 

I wasn’t surprised to learn that the Zorbas Trio has played at the farmers’ market, the Strand Theater, and at SVAN (Sacandaga Valley Arts Network) in Northville, New York, to name a few. Last year, they were nominated for the Eddies Awards in the ‘World Music of the Year’ category, and they will return to Proctor’s Theatre on the 27^th of April to perform on stage at the Eddies Awards. Talk about a full-circle moment, right? By the time you read this, that event will be over. Look it up, though, if you get a chance, I’m sure it’ll be online.

I asked what they like to do besides playing in a band. They whipped out their phones to show me. Callista, who’s 25 now, loves to crochet and sells little plush critters under her business name, Strawberry Moon. Demetra, now 22, works on pet portraits. Her work is commissioned, and she creates each from photos clients provide, using different mediums to make unique likenesses. You can see the work the family does under Black Box Studio. John, now 19, loves the musical production side of things. He teaches music lessons to private students and enjoys making something I’ve never heard of before: Stop-motion animations.

“So, what about mom and dad? How do they feel about your music and these other things you’re up to?” At that moment, all three voices jumped over each other with words that warmed my heart.

“They support everything we want to do.”

“I bet if we changed our minds and wanted to do something totally different, they’d say it was fine, that we should go for it.”

“Since we were very little, mom and dad cheered us on, even when we did something silly; they were always positive.”

“They believe in us. We‘re so blessed.” They all agreed.

I was close to both of my parents, so I knew what the siblings were talking about. My parents' support while I was growing up made a world of difference.

When I asked about the future and what they envisioned ahead of them, the trio shared a few of their dreams. They want to be successful, go on tour, and make music videos, vinyl, and CDs. They also had some words for their fans.

Callista encouraged people to get out to support local music: “There are so many great people, singing their original tunes; they deserve to be heard.”  Demetra wanted to share the importance of being true to yourself and staying creative. John wanted to tell people to “Never give up on their art.” They sounded like mentors and life coaches, just good, authentic youth to hang around. I felt lucky they’d shared such a positive vibe during my otherwise crazy day.