Musical Heart Strings is a professional string ensemble (or piano & strings), performing together for 19 years and offer an extensive repertoire, including classical, jazz, pop, rock & roll and even some heavy metal. Influenced by the Vitamin String Quartet, we arrange most of the music ourselves to be original covers performed only by us. We are available for hire for any gathering: weddings, parties, funerals, corporate events, graduations, or even for serenading a romantic dinner for two. We can play acoustically or with amplification. Feel free to browse our site and listen to the sound bites. If you wish to hear more, we can record from on our list especially for you (at no charge).
Musical Heart Strings are the best!
My wife and I reached out to a couple of different violinists to see who could play at our wedding ceremony. We got some responses back but none made us feel as comfortable as Gretchen did. From the very first meeting, she understood our vision. She knew exactly what was required to give us the best service possible. With the many meetings we had with Gretchen, she would always assure us that we had nothing to worry about, and she could not have been more right about that.
Musical Heart Strings has a long and extensive repertoire of songs to choose from, which is one of the biggest reasons they drew our attention. We wanted a very specific song for myself to walk down the aisle to (Regalo De Dios by Julion Alvarez) and unfortunately, they did not have that song in their repertoire. When I mentioned it to Gretchen, she assured me I had nothing to worry about. We found the music sheet online and with ease, they were able to learn it and play it for us. It was beautiful. Our guests even told us how their music added to the ambiance and how every time they hear those songs on the radio, it reminds them of the ceremony. And these are the types of moments that I will cherish forever. And it was all thanks to Gretchen and Kerry. You can not only see the chemistry, but you can feel it between them as they are orchestrating.
The professionalism and care given to my wife and I during one of the most stressful times of our lives, was second to none, and I cannot be more grateful for them. With that being said, I would absolutely recommend them to anyone and everyone!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much Noe for these kind words. When you said how much Regalo De Dios would mean to your fiancée, we knew we had to make it happen. After we learned it we knew how special that song is. Good choice! Your wedding was so beautiful, and everybody was so lovely!!! Thank you for choosing Musical Heart Strings to be a part of it.
As the bride and groom, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect musical experience on our wedding day. This incredible duet not only delivered a breathtaking performance, but they also went above and beyond by composing original music for two songs that held deep meaning for us, as we were unable to find the sheet music. Their talent and dedication added so much emotion and beauty to our ceremony. Every note was flawless, and their ability to create the perfect atmosphere was truly unforgettable. We are so grateful for their hard work and highly recommend them to anyone looking for musicians who will make your special day even more extraordinary.
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much Brigid for this wonderful review. We absolutely loved your wedding. It was so intimate and your guests (and you both) were so delightful. We really enjoyed adding your custom arrangements to our repertoire. There were such great choices! We had never heard these wonderful songs before!
Look no further and hire Musical Heartstrings, full stop. We had Gretchen and Kerry play cello and violin respectively for our November wedding at the Brazil Room in Berkeley. I love stressful situations only because they tend to be very revealing in terms of people’s character, and great character is important when you’re working on a potentially very stressful event like a wedding. Well, two weeks before the wedding, the groom decided to veto a key piece of music that was going to be part of my vows. Within a tight timeframe (and our limited budget), Gretchen took the initiative to search for a musical score that would suit a backup piece of my choosing and got me and Kerry into her home for a last-minute rehearsal. They didn’t have to do any of this and yet they did. I am forever grateful for their grace, support, and willingness to accommodate us when they didn’t have to.
From the beginning, Gretchen was so communicative and well-organized, and I just loved the sheer volume of samples on their website (which was also very mobile-friendly). Other than our caterer, Gretchen was the most communicative and on-top-of-it vendor I worked with. It was so enjoyable working with both her and Kerry and they played beautifully for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. They played everything from pieces from The Hobbit to Lady Gaga, and many other selections from their extensive repertoire. Now, I am looking forward to hopefully having Gretchen as my cello teacher. Excellent musicians, excellent people. Lots of love to Musical Heartstrings!
We had the absolute pleasure of having Musical Heart Strings perform at our wedding, and we couldn't have asked for a more magical experience. From the ceremony to the cocktail hour, their musical talent added an enchanting touch to our special day.
The duo's ability to create a beautiful atmosphere was remarkable. The ceremony music was both elegant and emotionally moving, setting the perfect tone for our vows. During the cocktail hour, their versatile repertoire had a few people, in the spirit of the holidays.
Not only were they incredibly skilled musicians, but their professionalism and flexibility made the planning process a breeze. They took the time to understand what we wanted and answer any questions we had.
If you're looking for talented, professional, and personable musicians to elevate your wedding day, Musical Heart Strings are the perfect choice.
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much Arianna. It was a joy to work with you to plan your music for your big event. And in the end, your wedding was gorgeous, as were you and your husband. And we LOVED the wedding colors. That deep red was a great choice. Congratulations on a beautiful wedding.
Musical Heart Strings was such an excellent addition to our ceremony. Kerry and Gretchen are professional, kind, and incredibly talented. They were so helpful from start to finish of the planning process including music recommendations and how they could best support our ceremony vision. We had so much fun choosing the songs for the ceremony and the different genres to choose from, was astounding. We got so many compliments from our guests, and we can’t recommend them enough for your event! They are truly one of a kind!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Your wedding was so beautiful. It was an honor to be a part of it. The fact that you had fun choosing your music is icing on the cake for us. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Musical Heart Strings created the magical ambience that we envisioned for our wedding! We had so much fun and ease picking out songs from their repertoire. When our wedding day came, we were absolutely in awe hearing the music come to life as they delivered on every song.
From beginning to end, we appreciated their responsiveness, thought and care. They were extremely personable and detail oriented.
We are so grateful that Musical Heart Strings was able to be a part of our wedding day to make it so special and memorable!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
We absolutely loved your wedding, so the feeling is mutual. Thank you for including us to be a part of it and for these kind words!
We are so happy with the performance that Gretchen and her string quartet brought to our wedding. We had them play for our ceremony and cocktail hour. They had such a wide selection of music with a few of my favorites already in their repertoire. My husband and I have a special attachment to Ghibli films, and so we felt like it was a must to request some special arrangements from our favorite films. Gretchen arranged beautiful pieces from “The Wind Rises” and “Howl’s Moving Castle” to play during our ceremony. Gretchen made special effort to ensure that we heard the arrangements in its entirety, and she even played for us when we were taking bridal party photos before guests arrive!
Gretchen also made an extra special arrangement for my bridal procession where she included by favorite section of the piece, and played it at the right moment during my walk. The timing couldn’t have been better.
Their performance was everything we had hoped for. We even had our guests come up to us to ask where we found such talented musicians!
After they finished playing, Gretchen greeted and congratulated us personally, which we appreciated
All of these small gestures mean so much to us. Working with Musical Heart Strings was such a joy, from beginning to end.
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much Stephanie for these extremely kind words. Your wedding was so memorable. Everything (and everyone) was so beautiful, including the two of you. We LOVE your custom arrangements. GREAT choices. Thanks for including us.
Musical Heart Strings made our wedding day even more special! Thank you for being part of our history, for playing with such talent, and for being outstanding people!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you for these lovely words. We thing YOU are the outstanding people.
Wow! Musical heart strings was outstanding! Getting chills all over again thinking about how special they made our wedding day. The musical heart strings quartet played for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. They made each event very memorable. They have an amazing song selection list, and are so talented. The ceremony music exceeded our expectations. The cocktail hour music fit our request perfectly (classy, fun, timeless). Could not recommend this group enough. They are so kind and enjoyable to work with.
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Awww.... Your wedding was so fun. We're so happy that we were able to play outside and amp our music inside since your wedding was so large. That worked out perfectly and as a result, you got a lot more music because all we had to move for the cocktail hour was the amplifier! We were delighted that we managed to play everything on your list. We wish you all the best!
Thank you to Grethen and Kerry - 2 beautiful and talented women. They made our ceremony, cocktail and dinner so unique with their vast repertoire. They know honestly ALL songs 💕 We also made them learn 2 of our special songs. Honestly, everything was also magic thank to them. We are very thankful!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much! Your wedding was so lovely and your 2 special songs (For The First Time and Chasing Cars) were excellent additions! We wish you all the best!
Musical Heart Stings did an incredible job at our July wedding in Sonoma County! Gretchen/MHS were very responsive to questions and emails, flexible with song choices and extremely professional and kind. You can see they truly have a passion for what they do. We received a lot of compliments during and after the wedding from our guests in regards to what a beautiful touch this was on our night. If you want to add a live musical element to your wedding, we highly refer MHS and we look forward to working with them again!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much Jayna for these kind words! Your wedding was beautiful. We look forward to working with you again!
Booked Musical Heart Strings for my wedding in Sonoma and the team played beautifully on our special day. Live string music was a hit with my guests and elevated the event. From ceremony through cocktail hour, the music was perfect for an outdoor vineyard setting. I was able to pick from a wide repertoire selection on their website; they have everything from pop, classical, to fun and whimsical. My ring bearer walked down to the tune of James Bond and the guests LOVED it!
Musical Heart Strings was professional and attentive to their client's need from initial consultation. Checked in prior to the wedding and worked seamlessly with my planner and officiant to flawlessly execute the music at the exact timing. One of the easiest vendors I worked with. 10/10. Could not recommend Musical Heart String more!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much Angela for these lovely sentiments. Your ring bearer was adorable and your wedding was beautiful. Congratulations!
Musical Heart Strings is an amazing group to work with. They are reliable, professional, freindly, fun, and TALENTED! They have a huge repertoire and deliver what you want with exactly the right amount of finesse and ambiance. Do yourself a favor and knock this off of your to-do list. I highly recommend them.
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you Jody for this stellar testimonial. We always enjoy playing for you!!! Until next time...
I’ve been working with Kerry and Gretchen for a few years now and they always put on an excellent performance for our residents. They have a diverse repertoire that everyone enjoys. They are professional, flexible and always a delight to have. I would definitely recommend them to perform at your next event! You will not be disappointed!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you Violet for hiring us for concerts for your Rossmoor residents. We always enjoy playing for them. We look forward to the next time.
We booked Musical Heart Strings for our Sonoma wedding, and they were incredible! They have and very diverse and fun repertoire. We loved being able to have classic music, as well as pop hits and even scores from our favorite movies. We got compliments all night on how fun the strings were. They learned a new song for us, and it made our special day all the more special. Thanks so much Gretchen!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you Claire for taking the time to write such a lovely testimonial. We really appreciate it. We really enjoyed performing for your wedding. Thank you for including us.
I'm so glad we hired Musical Heart Strings for our wedding! They added so much to the day with their extensive and very diverse repertoire. Picking our song list was so fun because they have seemingly endless options to choose from! We ended up opting for the quartet option and couldn't have been happier. They sounded absolutely beautiful together! We asked them to play through guest arrival, our ceremony, and our cocktail hour. Working with Gretchen was a breeze - she's incredibly professional, responsive, and genuine. I had multiple people compliment me on their performances and even passed their contact information on to a friend who asked for it for another wedding!
Pro tip: Think twice before letting your photographer take some pre-ceremony formal photos right next to where the Heart Strings are playing! It was an already emotional time, but the tears really started to flow with the beautiful sounds of Ed Sheeran instrumentals in the background! It was all I could do to keep it together and stay photo-worthy! :)
Musical heart strings was absolutely amazing! Working with Gretchen was wonderful. She was incredibly flexible and understanding as we worked through navigating COVID-19 postponements.
The music was absolutely beautiful and gave our wedding such an elegant touch. Though we missed cocktail hour - as most brides and grooms do - we were so happy to hear the trio was a hit and even got a round of applause after their last song. Do not hesitate! You are in great hands with Gretchen and her fellow musicians!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much Alicia!!! Your wedding was so beautiful. And is was so much fun getting that applause as we made our way through your guests to get to our car. You, your new husband, and your guests were awesome!
Musical Heart Strings was amazing. Gretchen took the time to have several phone conversations with me to help me fine-tune the ceremony details. Ironically I got more help planning my ceremony from Gretchen than my officiant. On the day of the wedding ceremony, they performed beautifully. They made my ceremony feel very special and beautiful. All our guests loved their performance including my cousin who has a music degree. Musical Heart Strings is very nice, friendly, professional, and talented I highly recommend them. An added bonus is their affordable pricing. 10/10 recommend.
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much. We are really honored that you chose us to play for your wedding. You were a delight when planning your music, and it was great meeting you in person on your special day. The Redwood Grove was the perfect venue your wedding. It was so magical.
We cannot give Musical Heart Strings a high enough review! From the moment we reached out to them and saw their videos on YouTube, we knew we found the perfect live music for our June 2021 wedding; and they confirmed our decision every step of the way. Our primary contact was Gretchen, Musical Heart Strings’ cellist. When we had to postpone our wedding a year due to the pandemic, Gretchen was amazing. She helped us change our contract and communicated with us every step of the way. She also did a custom arrangement for our ceremony and worked overtime with our friend who sang during the ceremony. The music during our ceremony and cocktail reception was wonderful. MHS has a large repertoire of songs you can listen to and choose from on their website, so we got to create our own playlists, which was fun and added to the personalization of our wedding. Gretchen, Kerry, Dagenais, and Betsy, who played at our wedding, are talented musicians who were prompt, professional and made our wedding classy, fun and memorable. Thank you, Musical Heart Strings! You are all a gift!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much for your kind words. Your wedding was the best, and you 2 were such a delight to work with for these past 2.5 years. We wish you a very long and happy life together, filled with lots of music!!!
We HIGHLY recommend Musical Heart Strings for any wedding or major event! Gretchen was wonderful to work with and made all of the planning a breeze. We had a special request for our Bride/Groom exit song that was not in their repertoire, and Gretchen was able to personally compose a beautiful rendition of the song just for us. They are extremely talented musicians and were an absolute joy to work with!
Having Musical Heart Strings perform in our wedding was VERY special! Gretchen and Carrie played during our ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and cake cutting! Gretchen was very professional, accommodating, and very responsive. Gretchen and Carrie had beautiful smiles the entire time and you can actually feel their warmth and happiness. They truly are the kindest and friendliest people you’ll ever meet. Too bad my husband and I are not from the area otherwise we would hire them for future events! We HIGHLY recommend them! Thank you soooooo much, Gretcen and Carey!! We’re very grateful! We’ll never forget your beautiful music, but most of all your genuine hearts! :)
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you Jean. Your wedding was wonderful! It was beautiful, intimate, and you had a terrific team of coordinators. I give you 5 stars!
Gretchen and her team were amazing!! I loved having them at our event. They were professional and sounded amazing. They came in with smiles on their faces!! Gretchen was excellent to deal with. Would recommend them to all!!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much Lori. Why wouldn't we have smiles on our faces? We were so thrilled to be playing indoors for an event on a really hot day! And what an event it was!!!
Musical Heart Strings made our wedding day absolutely magical!!! They arrived early and began playing for pre-ceremony into ceremony and cocktail hour. They are SO talented and wonderfully friendly to work with. Leading up to the wedding, Gretchen thoughtfully went over our music selections and day of timeline with us. They have a brilliantly expansive repertoire of songs to choose from and were even willing to learn a special selection or two for our ceremony. My husband and I are both musicians and were truly blown away by not only their amazing talent but also the beautiful sunshine-filled energy that they shared with us and our guests. I will never forget walking down the aisle with my Dad as the strings emotionally accompanied us on our way. It was beautiful. I cannot imagine the day without their hearts and music setting the tone for the entire wedding. Thank you so much Gretchen and team! We're forever grateful!! -Libby
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you for your kind words. Your wedding was amazing, and we wish you and Stephan a long lifetime of love, happiness, laughter, and music making...nothing but the best!
Musical Heart Strings played at our "Celebration of Life" for my sister. I felt so fortunate to have found them. They provided 2 strings and a keyboard player (as requested) and I think they would be perfect for a wedding. At a difficult time for decision making, Gretchen really took care of us. We knew we were in good hands and indeed we were. They played beautifully the songs we requested as well as fill-in songs where appropriate to keep in line with the event. We look forward to hiring them for a happier event sometime in the future.
Thank you so much Musical Heart Strings.
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Leslie, you and your family are wonderful people to have created such a marvelous tribute to your sisters. We wish you all the best and hope to see you again for a happier celebration!
Gretchen was amazing to work with. We utilized Musical Heart Strings for a holiday party put on for the executive board of our company.
She was understanding with my companies payment policies and was patient throughout our internal approval process.
Every wish was granted and the Musical Heart Strings website made asserting all of my preferences easy. The event was a huge success, and everyone appreciated the amazing performance.
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you Shannon. Your event was amazing! Loved the Dickens quartet and getting to collaborate with them for a few Christmas Carols at the end of the their hired time.
We hired Musical Heart Strings (pianist, cellist, violinist, viola) to play at our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. Kerry and Gretchen's quartet did a terrific job! Their beautiful music filled the room and really set the mood! Our guests loved it. They were highly responsive, professional and flexible. We asked them last minute to add another player to make a quartet instead of a trio, and they quickly secured a cellist per our request. They have a great, extensive set of music that we were able to choose from for the ceremony (all classical music), and then we asked them to play more movie scores and modern music in our two rooms for the cocktail hour (pianist in one room and strings in the other room). Our program ran 15 mins late, and they offered to continue playing until the end of our cocktail hour. Their extension was a little steep ($25 per musician for an additional 15 mins) but other than that, we were extremely happy about their performance and professionalism. I would definitely book them again if I was hosting another event requiring live music!
We hired Musical Heart Strings for our recent wedding at San Francisco City Hall, and we cannot say enough wonderful things about them! They were so communicative throughout the booking process and very easy to work with, and their rates were on par with what we expected to pay. I loved that they offer audio snippets on their site - it made it easier for my husband to choose his music for his portion of the ceremony. On the day of the event, everything went very smoothly - they were there early, set up quickly, and did a beautiful job - our guests loved them! Thank you so much for helping to make our day so special!
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Danielle, you are a gem! Thank you so much for the kind words. We appreciate them greatly. We wish you and Jared so much happiness.
Kerry and Gretchen are amazing! They were so easy to work with. Their musical skills are fantastic, they gave you all of the freedom to pick what you wanted while also providing suggestions to select from during a very busy time. They modified their dress to match our wedding colors and theme. They are simply wonderful to work with and made the event so much fun! Our guests were very impressed and had such a wonderful time. They will truly make your occasion a memorable one :)
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you, Sharyn. The wedding was fabulous, and I'm still in awe that you did the entire planning and decorating yourself. That was one lucky couple! And the Giants theme was so fun! A very memorable wedding indeed!
My hubs and I came across Musical Heart Strings at one of the local wedding fairs in San Francsico about two years ago when we first got engaged. At the time, having strings at our wedding was not on our radar. However, when We heard them play the theme song from Games of Thrones we were smitten! From there, we saw them play a few more times at local restaurants just to see them perform in different atmospheres. We were sold! We booked them for our wedding last weekend in Aptos CA. They were wonderful! They played exactly the type of sweet romantic music for our ceremony in the redwoods, but then busted out their more upbeat trendy music for our cocktail hour. Our guests and venue raved about how amazing they sounded outside! They were so easy to work with and I had to do absolutely nothing the day of the wedding as they came in seamlessly, worked with my coordinator, and got all set up. They were the perfect addiction to our wedding!
Five plus stars for Musical Heart Strings! =D
We met MHS at the Presidio Bridal event in San Francisco over a year before my wedding. We knew right away that we wanted them to play at our wedding. They were one of our best vendors. We got married during Memorial weekend at the Observation Post Presidio in San Francisco.
MHS have been great from the very beginning. The email communications from the very start were fast in response time and sweet. On our wedding day our family and friends complimented on how beautiful the musical arrangements were. Everyone's favorite were of course, Game of Thrones and Indiana Jones.
Gretchen, Kerry and Megan are definitely very talented, sweet and delightful to work with. I'm subscribed to their email newsletters and will definitely come out to Danville to listen to them play again. I definitely recommend MHS to anyone that is looking for beautiful music arrangements that will be a memorable experience on your special day.
Guest Arrival
“A Thousand Years” C. Perri
“In Dreams” Lord of the Rings
“Beauty and the Beast” A. Menken
“A Whole New World” A. Menken
“Bittersweet Symphony” R. Ashcroft
“Storybook Love” W. DeVille
“La Vie En Rose” E. Piaf
Game of Thrones Theme/Rains of Castamere
Processional (4 Pieces)
“Life on Mars?” D. Bowie - Groom/Groomsmen and Officiant
“All I Ask of You” A. L. Webber - Parents
“Hoppipolla” Sigur Ros - Bridesmaids/Flower dog
Canon in D - Bride
Recessional
Indiana Jones Theme
Cocktail Hour
Jurassic Park Theme
James Bond Theme
“Africa” Toto
“This Must Be the Place” D. Byrne
“Love Story” Taylor Swift
“Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen
“Over the Rainbow” Wizard of Oz
“Everything is Awesome” from Lego Movie
Spring from “The Four Seasons”
Addams Family Theme
“Viva la Vida” Coldplay
“White Wedding” Billy Idol
“You’re My Best Friend” Queen
“Jump” Van Halen
“Brown Eyed Girl” V. Morrison
We booked the string trio, and from our first contact with Kerry through their final song at our reception dinner, we were so happy with our choice and thankful we were able to book them. Their extensive repertoire (from wedding classics to contemporary pop songs) and lovely sample recordings drew us in, and their professionalism meant that everything went incredibly smoothly once we were booked. Their rendition of our processional song (for which they acquired the sheet music and rehearsed for a small additional fee) was breathtaking, and at the dinner reception they even went the extra mile in playing some last minute requests. Our wedding would not have been the same without Musical Heart Strings and I can't recommend these talented musicians highly enough.
Response from Musical Heart Strings:
Thank you so much Nicole and Nick. Your wedding was truly special. And the singalong rendition during dinner of Bohemian Rhapsody was the best EVER. We will never forget your wedding!
I cannot say enough good things about Musical Heart Strings. My husband and I were married at Saint Francis Solano Church in Sonoma with our reception at The Lodge at Sonoma, and MHS played our ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner. The backdrop of their music was just perfect. We chose the quartet (with keyboard), and Kerry, Gretchen, Matt and Megan did an incredible job. Since it was a full catholic mass, we had specific musical requirements and even a couple songs that they gladly learned for our service. They also worked with a cantor at the church for the hymns. It was above and beyond! Their selection at our cocktail hour and dinner was perfect (there was even a sing-a-long to Bohemian Rhapsody). If you're looking for a string quartet, look no further. You can't beat Musical Heart Strings!!
Musical Heart Strings made our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour spectacular! I cannot imagine our wedding without them! They have a fantastic repertoire and can also make custom arrangements. We loved the mixture of classical and popular songs. We also decided to have a custom arrangement of “Better Together” for our recessional song and it was awesome! We are still receiving compliments on our wonderful string trio months after our wedding! Kerry and Gretchen are friendly and professional! They promptly answered all of my questions and had fantastic recommendations. I highly recommend Musical Heart Strings for your wedding or special event! They truly made our wedding special and unique.
My words will never begin to describe how wonderful these ladies are. We arranged for Gretchen and Kerry to play at our daughter’s vineyard wedding. The bride had a particular song in mind for the processional that unfortunately was not part of Musical Heartstrings repertoire. After speaking with the group, without hesitation, they agreed to find the music and play it at the wedding. Even more unfortunate, they were only able to locate the music for guitar. They were quick to suggest learning the piece by ear. The result was fantastic. These ladies are so professional and accommodating. Smiles never leave their faces. They were happy to take and quick to play guest requests. When on break, they quickly jumped up to help with an audio problem that was occurring which was unrelated to their performance. It was as though favorite cousins offered to play at the wedding and reception. I can’t say enough about this group. Both their music and personalities were beyond magnificent. You will not go wrong with this duo!
Gretchen and Kerry of Heartstrings did a phenomenal job at our company holiday party. They have a wide selection of music that appealed to all of our guests. They were very responsive to emails, phone calls and always clear answering any of our questions. It was a pleasure to work with them from start to finish. We would love to have them at a future event!
Quintessential: Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class. As a wedding coordinator in Wine Country, I need string musicians who can play beautifully in any range of conditions, from outdoor in the hot July vineyards to a balcony in January with a cold breeze blowing through. Gretchen Egen and Kerry Borgen have played music that made me wish I was Cinderella riding to the ball, then turned around and jazzed it up until the guests were doing a "sing-a-long" and begging them to stay! Either my clients or I have hired them a score of times during the past year and have always been thrilled. Denise Kramer, Denise Kramer Weddings
I mainly dealt with Gretchen when I hired heart strings! I must say they are very good at what they do! My reception was truly a hit because I had them play music at my cocktail hour and also while my guests are being seated into the ballroom! Everyone felt like they were in the scence of that movie "titanic" when guests of the ship were enjoying the music played by those famous musician! Heart strings are very professional! Look no further when looking for a violinist and a cellist! Their music pieces are simply amazing! They will also give your reception that fancy, over the top feel! Thanks guys for giving my reception that epic ambiance! Will hire you again when the next event comes!
We were so pleased with the musical backdrop that Gretchen and Kerry gave to our small vineyard wedding. They provided an elegance to our ceremony that truly completed the day's perfection. Though not only were they incredibly talented and professional, they were also very flexible with our wedding party's diverse range of musical taste. While the prospect of a Jamaican/Italian wedding might scare off some musicians, Gretchen and Kerry were more than willing to accommodate both backgrounds with style. Our small wedding had a blast dancing and singing along to their selections. They're the perfect addition for any wedding day, and we'd recommend them in a heartbeat.
Classical ensemble does not express the range that Heart Strings will bring to your event. They brought a wonderful energy to both our holiday party and the 90th birthday celebration. We look forward to the next event when we can share and enjoy there positive energy and incredible talent.
Price Range: $720 and up
Gig Length: 120 - 540 minutes
Languages: English, Spanish
Insurance: $1,000,000 - Liability Insurance
Unions: AFM
Most people are interested in a 2-hour booking. We arrive 1/2 hour early to set up, unless you wish for us to bring amplification, in which case we arrive 1 hour early. For weddings, we typically play 15-30 minutes as a wedding prelude, then we play the wedding processionals, ceremony music (if any), and a recessional or 2. Often we move to another location for the cocktail hour. As soon as we are set up, we play for the cocktail hour. If the client requests certain pieces from our repertoire, we always play them, and try to have the client nearby when we do. If the booking is longer than 2 hours, we may take a 10-minute break for each hour hired, although often we rarely take much of a break.
We also have suitable music for dinner and dancing should you choose to hire us for more than 2 hours. The additional rate is $100 per hour per musician.
If the client gives us a color scheme for the event, we will try to accommodate with a splash that color scheme, like a scarf.
To prepare for your event, we are very punctual with emails and phone calls. We are always happy to assist you with any questions you make have, and if you want some advice on picking music, we are happy to help.
If you also hire us to make a special arrangement that is not already in our repertoire, we will make a top-notch arrangement by listening to the original group performing the piece and making the arrangement sound very similar to the original.
We can also be a larger ensemble including string trio or quartet, and piano trio or quartet. To hear the difference, click on the two note icon in repertoire for a duo, the three note icon for trio, the four note icon for the string quartet, and piano for piano quartet.
One client wrote "you are all folks have talked about since that evening. You exceeded our expectations, and made us look like rock stars so thank you so very much." We are proud to report that we have over 90 reviews about us online on various website combined, not included people who post the same review on several websites. All of our reviews are posted on our own website.
Our repertoire is very extensive. We can play classical music, like Pachelbel Canon, Bach Air, Schubert Ave Maria, Handel's Watermusic, etc. We can also play rock music, like Stairway To Heaven, Great Balls of Fire, My Girl, etc, as well as a large repertoire of music by The Beatles. We can even play Lady Gaga or AC/DC. We can also play Irish music, Joplin rags, cocktail hour music (like At Last, Unforgettable, Moon River, etc.), tangos and other Latin music, French salon music, Italian music, and even music from the 1920s. We also try to stay current with music from the past year. Our latest client favorites are Bohemian Rhapsody, Y.M.C.A., Budapest, Eye Of The Tiger, Tetris Theme, Hotel California, and of course, Game Of Thrones.
Much of our music is arranged by the various members in the group, so for a nominal fee, if what you want is not in our repertoire list, we can make an arrangement to fit your needs. Our most recent arrangements include Yellow (Coldplay), Viva La Vida (Coldplay), Born The Way (Lady Gaga), I'm Yours (Jason Mraz), Lucky (Jason Mraz), Make You Feel My Love (Adele), 3 pieces by the Rolling Stones, and Unchained Melody from the movie "Ghost", the opening music to "Far From The Madding Crowd", Don't Bring Me Down (Electric Light Orchestra), Take A Chance On Me (ABBA), A Thousand Years (Christina Perri), Rolling In The Deep (Adele), and Life On Mars? (David Bowie), and Hotel California (The Eagles).
We have a two-hour minimum for our bookings, and we arrive 30-60 minutes before the booking (not included in the 2-hours).
We can also provide our own amplification (needs power) for no additional fee, in which case we will arrive 1 hour before we are to play in order to set up the amplification.
We are a very self contained ensemble. We bring our music stands and iPads, so if there isn't enough light, the iPads are backlit, so it's not a problem. Also, we use bluetooth page turners, so we can have all the music you've requested in a setlist so we can quickly go from one piece to another, making more time for music, and less time for searching, turning pages. Also, with the iPads there is no longer a need for wind clips when we are outdoors, making transitioning from one piece to another very seamless.
If you are interested in having the ensemble amplified, we bring our own amp and mics, but would need an electrical outlet close by so we can have power. There is no additional fee for amplification.
| August 16, 2019 • 5:00pm - 8:30pm | Corporate Event |
We have a very extensive repertoire of over 600 pieces. Please visit our website at (link hidden) to view the entire list. If you interested in hearing sound bites, simply click on the icons. the 2-note icon is our violin/cello duo, the 3-note icon is our string trio, the 4-note icon is our string quartet, and the keyboard icon is our piano quartet. Almost all of the music is available for all instrument combinations, regardless if we have samples up.
Thank you!
| Kerry Borgen | violinist |
| Gretchen Egen | cellist |
| Megan Pokorney | violist |
| Matt Smart | Keyboard/Piano |
| Eryn Allen | Keyboard/Piano |
| Alina Polonskaya | violinist |
| Matthew Szemela | violinist |
| Matthew Vincent | violinist |
| Betsy London | violist |
| Daria D'Andrea | violist |
Vitamin String Quartet
If outdoors, we need protection from direct sunlight or rain
Armless chairs will be needed if the musicians will be sitting while playing.
If you want us to be amplified, we will need access to an electrical outlet for our equipment. We can provide up to 75 feet of extension cord, although it's preferable to have the outlet a bit closer.
San Francisco, CA 
Harpist
69 Verified Bookings Jordana B. said “Lana helped make our friends and family lunch at our senior living community a beautiful event. This was the second time that we've worked with her,…”
Oakland, CA
Cellist
17 Verified Bookings Ben F. said “Easy to schedule, on time, great performance.”
Moraga, CA
Classical Singer
8 Verified Bookings Elizabeth M. said “Suzanne was a brilliant pianist who made our caroling event a smashing success. There was nothing she couldn’t play and gave us all a joyful Christmas…”
Vallejo, CA
Classical Ensemble
91 Verified Bookings Lisa G. said “We got married at the Olema house and Wes showed up perfectly on time and very well dressed. He was flexible with what songs to play up until I walked…”
List your services
Log In
