Charles Metz has enjoyed a varied career as both a musician and optometrist. As an undergraduate he studied piano at Penn State University, beginning his harpsichord studies through private lessons with the legendary Igor Kipnis. In the process of earning a Ph.D. in Historical Performance Practice at Washington University in Saint Louis Missouri, he studied with Trevor Pinnock. More recently, Charles has worked with Webb Wiggins and Lisa Crawford at the Oberlin Conservatory. He plays regularly in Saint Louis with ensembles and has performed across the country with recent concerts in Chicago IL, Saratoga NY, Bennington VT, Louisville, KY and Liberty Mo in their Baroque music JEMS Fest. In April 2010, he performed a solo recital at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. and in October 2011 performed a solo recital and Master class on Elizabethan Virginal Music at Oberlin Conservatory. He also recorded the “Tisdale Virginal Book”, music of the Elizabethan period, on his 400 year old Italian Virginal which will be released as a CD in 2012. His international appearances include performances in The Netherlands, Germany and Costa Rica.
In addition to his musical career, Dr. Metz graduated from University of Missouri School of Optometry. He established his own practice, Metz Eyecare in O’Fallon Missouri. Nine years later he became a franchise affiliate of Clarkson Eyecare and opened two offices in the O’Fallon area. In 2002 he sold his offices to Clarkson Eyecare and joined the Board of Carkson Eyecare. Now retired from seeing patients on a regular basis, Dr. Metz continues to do charitable work seeing patients through the Clarkson Eyecare Foundation in community outreach programs and the Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club.