Two of our string musicians have performed her for a musical “The Christmas Post”, not the most known and yet one of the best musicals! It was a week long production with several rehearsals and three shows.  We worked with very talented cast members, orchestra musicians and a dedicated conductor.  All of the three shows were full of audience. It was a very rewarding experience for us on a musical level, and we learned a musical that we have never heard of before! 

This is probably the most beautiful church our musicians have performed at, and it is even more spectacular during Christmas.  Our string quartet performed in here for a Sunday service. It also has a tallest Christmas tree I’ve ever seen!

After years of  performing as musicians in many different places in Pittsburgh and around it, I think this place has just won an award in our opinion for its’ acoustical gem! I had never suspected that this small, simple, and yet elegant chapel would have such an incredible sound. It was only two of our musicians, cellist and a violist playing for the wedding ceremony, and yet, according to many guest, we sounds as if there were ten of us in the room. It was a pleasant surprise for our musical ears…

A fairly easy to get to hotel in Greensburg, off the PA turnpike. It does have many conference rooms which is where the wedding our musicians played at took place. It looks like a convenient place for guests who travel to weddings from out of town. Plus, the wedding and the receptions were next door to each other. It might not be the most enchanting place, but it is very practical.

Although it is pretty far from Pittsburgh – almost two hours, this place has a great ambiance form 1800’s, a hidden jem in Pennsylvania hills.  The wedding coordinator was probably the best I have ever dealt with.  He was on top of things, had everything set up for the musicians, knew every step of the ceremony and when to cue us – it was fantastic! It always makes our job easier when people such as him are involved. The fountain was also gorgeous, a beautiful spot for a wedding ceremony!

This was a nice place for a wedding, with a beautiful fountain in the background. In fact, as our musicians were setting up to play, there were at least three or four wedding parties that drove up to the fountains for the wedding photos. The only downside is absence of shade. We got lucky since the wedding we played at took place at four in the afternoon, and we found a shady place for the instruments. The wedding couple did try to put up a tent for us, but it was put upside down and kept falling down – so we decided against it! There are a few pine trees where we could have been seated, but the sap and bugs were not conducive to playing! 🙂 Another good thing – plenty of free parking!

Another nice place in the Pittsburgh area for wedding and banquets. A slight negative is parking is your event is during the day. After six in the evening, though – it is free.

I have to say that this is probably the most beautiful place our string quartet have performed at – and we have played at hundreds of places over the years! The gardens were gorgeous with blooming roses, the view of a glacier lake is breathtaking! No wonder  I counted at least five different weddings going on at the same time there, as well as many visitors. Yet another hidden treasure in Ohio. I hope we get to play there again so I can come early and explore the area more…

This was a trio consisting of violin, viola and cello playing wedding music for a ceremony. It has moved up my own personal list of favorite places. It is fairly far from Pittsburgh ( off either Donegal or Somerset from PA turnpike), but what a place!  We played inside what looked like a gigantic barn room, with beautifully done woodwork and a fireplace. I don’t think I’ve met nicer people anywhere else, and we got so many compliments even though we didn’t play all that much, total of about an hour. The only downside – poor ventilation for the fire place. Within seconds of starting the logs, the smoke filled the room, setting the fire alarm off several times (tuned to a D  – we checked!), and making everyone’s eyes burn for a while. Still, it was wonderful and we felt really appreciated by those who were listening to us. 

This is a very cozy inn, although far from Pittsburgh. We played here with two musicians, violist and a cellist at a wedding ceremony. I was surprised by seeing the number of people attending this wedding at such a small place. The wedding was outside by the pool, with at least eighty people in attendance. We played inside a small gazebo – it was a bit tight but we managed it with the help of very enthusiastic staff who very constantly battling the wind and using pumpkins and duct tape to hold down the runner for the bride to walk on!