If this is your first time hiring a string quartet you're bound to have a number of queries. Our team of live music experts have put together the following guide covering everything you need to know to get you started.
What type of event is a London string quartet suitable for?
Whilst always a firm favourite for weddings, a string quartet in London is also a fantastic choice for graduations, awards ceremonies, birthday parties, product launches, garden parties, charity and corporate events. If you wish to convey the magnitude of your milestone to your guests, then scoring it with a classical soundtrack is a good place to start.
What type of music can a string quartet perform?
Our genre-spanning London string ensembles are naturally familiar with the conventional pieces written specifically for string instruments, but also like to bring things up to date to cater for as broad an audience as possible.
Take a quick browse through the repertoire list of any of our string quartets and you'll find everything from classical music to jazz, Broadway show tunes, modern pop songs and more.
For example, Vivaldi's Spring (the Four Seasons) is just as likely to occur as the Imperial March from Star Wars, each piece approached with the same level of expertise. You can look forward to hearing classical and romantic pieces composed by Saint-Saens, Tchaikovsky, Edvard Grieg and Bach, pop and rock hits made famous by the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Queen and the Darkness and numerous TV, film and musical themes from Cats, the Pink Panther, Fawlty Towers and numerous James Bond opening tracks.
What instruments make up a string quartet?
A string quartet is most commonly made up of two violinists, a violist and a cellist, able between them to reach the requisite high and low ends of the classical key system most western music works in.
Can I book a string duo or string trio instead?
Yes, absolutely! Whether due to venue space or budgetary requirements, we understand there are many occasions where a string duo or trio would be more suitable.
Most of our string quartets for hire in the Greater London area offer smaller line-ups so please get in touch if this is something you're looking for. It's worth noting that a smaller line-up such as a string trio may offer a more limited repertoire due to the availability of sheet music and existing arrangements.
Will my string quartet take song requests?
Yes, all of our string quartets are more than happy to take song requests prior to the day. If a song isn't already in their repertoire, there may just be a small charge to buy a copy of the arrangement online.
When will the string quartet perform and for how long?
For weddings, string trios and quartets will typically perform for 15-20 minutes as your wedding guests arrive and take their seats. They'll then usually play a key role in your wedding ceremony, performing the processional song, music during the signing of the registers and the exit song.
In addition to the wedding ceremony, string musicians can also perform during the champagne reception for an hour or two, and possibly onto the wedding breakfast if required.
String ensembles tend to quote an hourly fee to cover their time at the venue, so just let us know what you're after, and we'll quote accordingly.
Where in Greater London do your string quartets perform?
We represent string ensembles across Greater London covering Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames and Westminster to name but a few areas.
Head over to our event blog where you'll find all the information you need to know about hiring string muscians.
Why hire a London string quartet through us?
- Over 20 Years experience in the events industry
- Hundreds of 5 Star reviews across Facebook and Google
- All string quartets hand-picked by our team of experts
- Dedicated member of our team assigned to your event
- Professional contracts for your peace of mind

A very friendly and professional organisation. Their expedient service was tremendous, giving me the assurance that my event would be a huge success. All written communication was clear and concise and telephone conversations were polite and gave me confidence. This was the first time I had used Bands For Hire, and I would certainly recommend them.
Get inspired with a range of entertainment ideas for your London event. We represent a wide range of London based wedding musicians including London Harpists, guitarists, party bands and more.