Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The first weddings of the Spring are always so beautiful. Look at the picture perfect sky next to the inlet (salt water) at the north shore of Long Island where our Duo of Violin and Cello performed at a wedding ceremony and cocktail hour at the Old Field Club on April 5th 2014..breathtaking setting!


The photo above is from a wedding at "Larkfield" in E. Northport (Long Island) NY where I had the pleasure of perfrming my violin for a wonderful DJ company and with a very nice keyboard player I so enjoy playing together with :)  What a picture perfect weather day 1x again...temperate, 64 degrees and just amazing weather.  Lovely ceremony.

Just a note to describe the Options we recommend most for beautiful ceremony music or music at your wedding ceremony and cocktail hour:

Solo Violin
Violin and Piano or Keyboard
Harp and Violin Duo
Cello and Violin Duo
String Trio of 1 Violin, 1 Viola, 1 Cello
Trio of Harp, Violin and Cello...very elegant, warm and beautiful to see as well as hear :)
The traditional String Quartet.
For added color/that something different, a
Vocal soloist can be added to any Duo, Trio or Quartet
and  Guitarist or Flutist are also available to compliment the strings.

Feel free to E mail us directly for more information
NDK1capriccio@msn.com

Happy Spring, Easter and Passover! Happy Holidays from all of us here at CE (Capriccio Ensemble) to all of our wonderful brides, grooms past and present and to all of our fabulous clients past and present! :)


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

News, highlights and great tips and a few mishaps as well from our year to date events, concerts and weddings!

Outstanding events this year included a late September performance at a museum on the east side of Manhattan completely unique and new to us. Tucked away behind a red door is the "American Illustrators Museum" and "Society of Illustrators" on E. 63rd St. The museum has wonderful exhibits of illustrations by famous artists as well as students and it supports the work of many young presenters, students and much more.
 
The beautiful illustration was on display the evening I performed at the museum at one of it's private fund raising events..lovely!
 
Other highlights included a concert performance at the Federal Veterans Hospital in St. Albans, and also at the Bronxwood Home for the Aged in the Bronx. These performances by our Duo of Harp and Violin were memorable and I for one was touched by the many questions and responses of the patients in both settings...sweet and meaningful to both myself and the harpist....see our lovely audience participants together with harpist after the concert held in late May.
 
Capriccio Ensemble performed at various concerts, events and weddings in NYC, Long Island, Westchester and NJ this year. I took as many photos as were possible at each of our events....here are a few highlights from various weddings we performed at this year in 2013!
Lovely Nuptial Mass held at Our Lady of Victory Church in Floral Park NY on 8/30/13 performed by our String Trio

Solo Violinist after a concert held at Epiphany at St. Kevin's Church in
Auburndale NY

Bride and Groom just married on 11/3/13 at Smithtown Landing Country Club on Long Island! Lovely couple, Jeffrey and Elisa. I had the pleasure of performing their very first dance song "Every Breath You Take" by Sting for them :)

A beautiful bride with a most handsome Groom, at a wedding ceremony held in March at the Smithtown Landing Country Club. The venue is one of the most hospitable places we have ever worked at ..very nice staff. Congrats to Christine and Jude! ..wishing you both every happiness always!

Photo taken from where I had been performing for their ceremony, in the back of the outdoor garden area at the absolutely gorgeous East Wind Caterers and Estate for Chrissy and Trevor our stunning and sweet military bride and groom on 7/19/13...Congrats! We wish you both a lifetime of happiness!

At the Glen Island Harbour club at a wedding ceremony performed for Jennifer and Michael on June 29th 2013..the glass enclosed chapel is stunning on a lovely day with views of the sea and nearby Glen Island Park and grounds from the windows! Congrats to Jennifer and Michael..wishing you every happiness! :)

Our gorgeous cellist (I call her "E") taken on 10/26/13 at Villa Barone Hilltop Manor in Mahopac NY. Although their was a chill in the air, the warmth and love felt everywhere at this wedding would have been sufficient for a massive bonfire..such nice people to work for and perform for!!! Congratulations to Jacky and Tim and we all wish you much happiness in love and in life always!

I snuck a picture of our beautiful bride after her church ceremony held in Bayonne NJ held at St. Henry Church in March. Congrats!!

The cellist with me took this photo after the ceremony of Chrissy and Trevor ohn 7/19/13 in the garden at East Wind Caterers

wishing you both another 25 years + of love and happiness! It was a great pleasure for me to play my violin at your wonderful party and celebration on July 14th at Jeffrey's of Westfield. All the best always! 
 
Tip/suggstion: If you are planning a garden wedding please observe any contractual information from your string team about performing in rain, drizzle or misting. Unfortunately at one venue (The Bourne Mansion) there was a mishap with a situation where we were expected to perform in rain, precipitation and etc and it was quite clear on our contract with the bride that this was not going to be possible. the Banquet manager who told me (and I quote) "I am all about the bride". We are too and our goal is to provide complete satisfaction and happiness in their music to each one of our most highly valued bride's, and groom's and client's and to be sure 100% that they are enchanted with our music making and professionalism. Unfortunately, string instruments, just the same as a fine piece of wood, are unable to endure any moisture or water falling upon them, as it is damaging to the delicate instruments, the varnish and more. Therefore if your string section is not playing because a Manager insisted that they remain on a balcony which is not protected from the elements on a windy day where the rain and precipitation are being blown into the area where we were expected to play, and the rain is blowing precipitation right onto our highly valuable instruments....this is not a situation that our instruments can sustain without causing permanent damage to the instrument(s).  It was in our agreement with our June 14th  Bourne Mansion bride specifiying clearly what outdoor weather situations we can and cannot perform in ...in terms of the weather!  Perhaps our June 14th bride had never read our contract thoroughly?
Just a suggestion, however please be understanding as someone's violin, or cello, which is the tool of his/her trade and although the last thing in the world we wish to do is to put a damper on your special day by the same token we simply cannot perform in any rain, precipitation, drizzle, misting or other element in which moisture is present.
 

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Spring Discount on a Beautiful Solo Violinist

Solo Violin Spring Special 2013. Our violinists are polished, professional and will project their sound beautifully in any space! Don't miss this great deal, check with us for your special discount!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

SPRING WEDDING CEREMONY AT THE ALDIE MANSION IN DOYLESTOWN PA

         PHOTO OF RACHEL (THE BRIDE) AND PAUL (THE GROOM) AT THE CHUPPAH. PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE BACK OF THE CEREMONY, BY ME (THEIR WEDDING CEREMONY VIOLINIST)

  It was a beautiful and picture perfect Spring Day on 5/4/13. The Duo of Violin and Cello which we provided for the ceremony began early for the seating of guests. It was such a lovely day that the guests came outdors early to enjoy the pictoresque garden area of "Aldie Mansion".  The blooms of the trees and in all the flowering shrubs in shades of light green, pink, purple and white were a sweet backdrop to the ceremony.
     The Bridesmaids wore an elegant shade of fuschia and the 2 ringbearers arrived in style in a mini go cart!
    Our Duo of Violin and Cello performed music in a location just behind the guests and  close to the aisle. Many people smiled at us as they walked by!   Their having live and elegant music to greet them as they entered the beautiful garden (I am sure) made them feel like royality, and the enjoyment they felt as a result both of the beautiful day and the serenading duo were apparant.
   We performed an eclectic mix of elegant and soft romantic for the guests including "Minuet in G', Beethoven, "Simple Gifts", "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", Aerosmith, "Sleeping Beauty Waltz", Tchaikowsky, several short recognizable duos by JS Bach, "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge and "Con te Partiro" by Sartori....all for the seating and arrival of the guests.
  For the Bridal Party we performed a continuos mix of "Canon in D", Pachelbel and "Air" from Watermusic by GF Handel. For the Bride's Processional we performed http://www.capriccioensemble.com/sample.html (click to hear a short sweet sample via this link/page) "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel. The Recessional was a cute upbeat song titled "Ho Hey" by the Lumineers. We were joined by the DJ for the song at one particular moment in the song as the lyrics have sentimental value to the bride and groom and we played along! The Postlude/Exit selection we performed for the guests as they exited was "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve/Rolling Stones.   We left the Aldie Mansion just as the sun was going down and headed back to our homes in New York City/Manhattan and Astoria respectively!  It was a lovely day and we wish them all of the very best always! Congrats to Rachel and Paul!


THE BRIDESMAIDS WORE A STUNNING SHADE OF BRIGHT PINK/FUSCHIA!


PIC OF VIOLINIST ( ME) WITH BRIDE AND GROOM AND CHUPPAH IN THE BACKGROUND, TAKEN DURING THE CEREMONY


CELLIST WITH MANSION IN THE BACKGROUND!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Choosing the Best Ceremony or Event Musicians

The article below was written by Natalie Kriegler, Artistic Director expressly for www.westchesterweddings.com and is also featured on www.wedalert.com

Wedding Ceremony Music: Selecting Ceremony Musicians


On your most special day, your wedding ceremony music, at it’s very best, will enhance your cherished moments and help to create beautiful memories. Your families and wedding guests will compliment you on the music if it was beautifully and exquisitely performed. Memories of your wedding day will be greatly enhanced because of an exceptional quality performance by your solo violinist, string quartet or harpist. If your wedding is being video graphed, your wedding ceremony music needs to be of the highest quality.

Why Should You Hire Professionals for Your Wedding Ceremony Music


Articles in some recent wedding magazines have extolled the virtues of booking student performers for wedding ceremony music as cost-efficient. I would like to caution anyone planning a wedding against heeding this advise, for the following reasons:

  1. Inexperienced students or semi-professional performers generally do not offer a contract for their services.
  2. They are unlikely to have references to verify their reliability or punctuality.
  3. They are not familiar with cues and when to stop playing.
  4. They are not experienced wedding ceremony musicians - your wedding may be a learning ground for them.

What to Ask a Wedding Ceremony Music Professional


For each ensemble you are interviewing, you should ask the following of their music director, music office or representative:

  1. Request a CD or tape of their music.
  2. Ask for printed references from former brides or accredited entertainment industry professional agencies. You may also ask to see programs of or critical reviews from live concerts or a professional resume. These items will help to verify their professionalism and experience at past weddings, events or performances.
  3. Inquire as to whether they may be performing somewhere where you can hear and meet them in person.
  4. If it is a high quality ensemble which has captured your interest and their fee is a bit of a stretch for your budget, ask them of they are offering any current discounts or promotions. If they are not, you may consider reserving 1 or 2 musicians less than you had planned to have originally. If they are experienced and you like their sound this will be well worthwhile!
  5. Try to get a feeling or “vibe” from their representative as to how they will treat you and all of your questions and concerns. Your impression of someone’s willingness to work with you is a very important factor. If you prefer to meet with all of your wedding vendors, be sure to ask if this is possible before the wedding.
  6. Inquire about their policy on contracts, deposits and overtime fees. Find out how “locked-into” their services you will be upon a mutually signed agreement. What happens if a musician has to be replaced at the last minute due to illness? If the ensemble you are interested in hesitates when you inquire about these particular concerns, I advise you to move on. However, if you are obtaining ceremony musicians through a band or a reputable music office, whom you already trust, then knowing exactly who will be performing your wedding ceremony music need not be an issue.

By Natalie Kriegler, Music Director, The Capriccio Ensemble

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Latest News in 2012!

News for 2012 In the category of Ceremony Music we have won the "Bride's Choice Award" from www.weddingwire.com! Our song list has increased to now include as a part of our repertoire, these cool songs: 1. Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Steview Wonder 2. Take a Chance on Me, Abba 3. Such Great Heights, Postal Service 4. I Will Always Love You, by the fabulous talent, Whitney Houston 5. We will be working on 2 new songs by Beyonce....details soon! We have made a few new friends, and connections and this year we performed in Concert at: 1. "Downtown at Grace" series which is at the Grace Episcopal Church in White Plains NY. We performed a concert as a Trio of Violin, Harp and Cello and the concert featured both Duo and Trio works including the very virtuostic "Fantasie" for harp and violin by Camille Saint Saens. Thanks to my hubby the church was filled with many of his business associated..the producers were very happy with the turnout and we will perform at the concert series again most likely sometime in Winter of 2013. 2. We also performed at a private concert held at a Senior residence located right across the street from St. John the Divine, in NYC/Manhattan. The concert featured a Violin and Guitar Duo and included works by Vivaldi, Paganini, and Gershwin, including the fun and famous "I Got Plenty of Nothin' " from Porgy and Bess. ...coming soon.... Suggestions for Processionals and Recessionals that are different and very non traditional...stay tuned! Thanks for reading our latest news. We also want to congratulate NICKY and MATT whose beautiful weddding we were honored to be a part of, held at the Marina del Rey in Throggs Neck NY on 6/12/12 and I would like to give a special congratulations to the lovely couple I performed for last Sunday, June 10th at the Queens Botanical Gardens. Congrat's to Dianna and Shane! It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed meeting your family, and beautiful son and baby.... good wishes to you for all the best always in life and in love :)

Sunday, February 6, 2011

From Across the Ocean!

Here is the REVIEW that we recently received in early February of 2011 from Hong Kong from Kathleen and Chris Pagan. The review is about the ensemble we provided for their wedding mass and cocktail hour to follow from early 2009:

"Absolutely wonderful! Having the right music was so very important to us at our wedding and The Capriccio Ensemble gave us exactly what we wanted. Coordinating the day of music couldn't have been easier. We chose a String Quartet, Trumpeter, Organist and Soprano. All were fantastic. The team was professional and flexible...and we did it all under serious time pressure. We highly recommend them.

- Kathleen and Chris Pagan, 20 December 2008, NYC
Wedding at The Church of the Holy Innocents & reception at The Haier Building "

We are so happy to hear from Kathleen and Chris!
I worked very closely with Chris in particular towards the correct musical presentation for their Wedding Mass. The church had found them an organist who was a student however Chris was very concerned when this organist (and she was extremely cheap to book)
told him that she did not have the proper sheet music for the religious/responsorial music which must be performed during the mass. She went even further to tell Chris, the Groom, that if he or someone did not get her this music (which all professional organists already have and have performed 100's of times!) she could not be held accountable for the mistakes she would no doubt make.

I received a phone call from Chris 2 nights before his wedding asking me to find him an organist to perform at his wedding.
As I am a full time professional musician working with members of Local 802 AF of M, NYC and in having worked with the best of the best organist in NYC, Dr. Jennifer Pascual, the Director of Music of the Cathedral of St. Patrick NYC I set out to find the best possible organist with very very short notice.
I received a phone call the next AM at 8:30 AM from Dr. Jennifer Pascual stating that she was available, and would like to help out in light of the situation which I had been clear about when I e mailed her as well as other organists.

Moral of the Story:
Sometimes one really and truly does "get what you pay for" and I would not advise anyone to skimp on the music that is integral to a wedding mass and to your special day. If you are a wedding coordinator reading this it is probably best NOT to contact us if all that matters to you is pandering to your client and finding her the cheapest possible strings because that is not what Capriccio Ensemble is about.
We are all about quality with as reasonable a cost to our highly valued clients as is possible for our great sound, talent and professionalism. We cannot be the cheapest ones to be found, and therefore if that is your goal....finding the rock bottom absolute cheapest violinist or string ensemble we are more than likely not going to fill this kind of need.

Here is the REVIEW that Kathleen and Chris wrote from their wedding from early 2009:

"Absolutely wonderful! Having the right music was so very important to us at our wedding and The Capriccio Ensemble gave us exactly what we wanted. Coordinating the day of music couldn't have been easier. We chose a String Quartet, Trumpeter, Organist and Soprano. All were fantastic. The team was professional and flexible...and we did it all under serious time pressure. We highly recommend them.

- Kathleen and Chris Pagan, 20 December 2008, NYC
Wedding at The Church of the Holy Innocents & reception at The Haier Building "