The musicians of String Quartet of Northern Virginia are professional orchestral, chamber and solo musicians who have performed worldwide. We have an extensive and varied repertoire and pride ourselves on the highest level of performance and our ability to make each event special and enjoyable for the organizers, guests and attendees.
We perform at both indoor and outdoor venues and will do everything possible to accommodate your requested performance requirements while ensuring the safety of our instruments. Our instruments are extremely valuable and delicate, so we require adequate shelter from direct sunlight, fog, drizzle, rain and other inclement weather. Temperatures/wind chill/heat index must be between 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 95 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of performance in order for us to perform outdoors.
Unless otherwise specified, we perform in formal black attire.
Our event planning sheet is designed to ensure your ceremony music is organized and prepared to best reflect your wishes and taste. We will work with you and/or your wedding coordinator to ensure our quartet is prepared with the pieces and timing for each ceremony, so we generally do not find it necessary to attend the rehearsal. We will confirm what and when we are playing with the event coordinator and/or officiant on the day of the event prior to the beginning of our performance. We will also accompany talented friends who wish to perform at your event, and will arrange to rehearse with them prior to the event for an additional charge.
We require four armless chairs and an area of approximately eight feet by eight feet to set up our stands and instruments. If lighting is low, we will provide our own stand lights, but adequate lighting is always appreciated.
The first seventy miles roundtrip is included in the performance rate (mileage is determined beginning and ending in Alexandria, VA). An additional fee is charged for all engagements booked outside of this area with discounts available for events longer than four hours.
A quartet member will be delighted to work with you directly to determine the music for your event, or if you wish, we will be happy to make suggestions for you to consider. Please see our repertoire list which includes hundreds of pieces in many genres of music.
We make every attempt to accommodate special requests. If the music is available already arranged, we require reimbursement for the purchase of the music. If we need to provide the arrangement, we will need sufficient notice (at least two weeks) and an additional charge will apply (generally $50-$100).
We will be glad to play for your reception in addition to your wedding and have a wide variety of music from which to choose to complement the rest of your event. Even if you are using a band or DJ, the string quartet may be used to make the transition from the ceremony to cocktail hour, dinner and reception.
Our website features recordings of String Quartet of Northern Virginia LLC performing pieces from our extensive repertoire. Please request a sample cd when submitting your event details by e-mail and we will be happy to send one to you. Additionally, please inquire about being added to our e-mail list to receive information on any public performances as we all perform as symphony, chamber and solo musicians throughout the DC Metro area year round.
Not necessarily. Our experienced musicians have performed at major venues throughout the DC metro area and are accustomed to working with clients for whom time is a precious commodity. The majority of planning may be accomplished via e-mail and phone. In person consultations may be arranged for a fee which will be applied to the cost of your event.
This depends on the nature of your event. Our wedding ceremony package allows for ninety minutes from prelude through postlude. Parties, dinners and other special events range from one to four hours depending on your needs and budget.
Bookings may be made up to one year in advance or even the week of your event depending on availability. To secure your date and time, please submit the information requested on the website form. Once received, a quartet member will contact you to begin the event planning process using our interactive forms. We then proceed with a contract which, once signed and sent in with a deposit, will reserve your requested date and time.
We are able to scale down the size of our group to suit your budget; however, many pieces in our repertoire require the full quartet to maintain the integrity of the melody and harmony, so the number of pieces available to choose from will be more limited. We also welcome requests for soloists and larger ensembles-please ask your quartet representative for details and availability.