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The Chicago Style Strings

The Chicago Style Strings are committed to bringing you beautiful music for your wedding, party or special event. They will consult with you to personalize the music to the needs of the event and will honor most special requests. The Strings have played numerous events such as holiday parties, weddings, and special events of all sorts. Everything from small intimate gatherings to fund raising events for the Governor.

The Strings are available in several formats including Duo, Trio and Quartet with instrumentation designed to bring out the full beauty of the music. 

These are our most popular choices for weddings, receptions and corporate events where you want an elegant touch of strings performed with flair and class.

Our Musical Leader, The Virtuoso, Daniela Bisenius

Daniela Bisenius was born in 1965 in Bucharest, Romania. Her parents, both professional pianists, started her on violin at the age of five. Her talent was soon recognized and she was enrolled at the prestigious Music School Geoge Enescu where she began studying with Dinu Cristea and later with Valeriu Rogacev. After graduating in 1984 she joined her father and brother in Germany, where they were both employed with major symphony orchestras and major opera houses. At 19, she won the position with the Staatsphilharmonie Ludwigshafen making her the youngest person ever to win a position with that orchestra. Aseries of orchestral and solo engagements followed including Frankfurter Opera, Munick Philharmonic, Bayerisches Rundfunk and RTL Luxembourg. She continued her studies at the Musikhochschule Saarbrucken where she studied with Russian teacher Valerie Gradov. She also attended Violin Master Classes in Nice, France with Henrick Szering and Gerarld Poulet. In 1988 she came to US, where she was awarded full scholarship to University of Iowa and studied with Prof. Leopold La Fosse. Here she appeared in a televised Master Class with Issac Stern.

She then performed as an orchestra member with many professional orchestras including Naples Philharmonic, Phoenix Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, etc.

Daniela is a very versatile musician. She has shared the stage with many great stars over the years such as Natalie Cole, Luther Vandross, Smokie Robinson, Kurt Elling, among, many, many others.

She continues to be a very active musician and a very devoted teacher. You might see her perform on stage or at a private party, recording in a studio or traveling to a festival.   If you were to ask her what she enjoys most of it, this is what she will tell you: " Teaching. It is by far the most rewarding aspect of my career. I was fortunate enough to have incredible teachers who gave me everything they've got each and every lesson! That is what I want to do for my students. To be able to inspire someone through music, it is not just my job, but simply a way of life for me and the only one I know!"

Some of the Most Popular and Timeless pieces in our Repertoire include:

Bach 

Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring

Wagner 

Wedding March

Mendelssohn 

Wedding March

Handel 

The Royal Fireworks and Water Music Suite

Handel 

Entrance of the Queen of Sheba

Schubert

Ave Maria

Vivaldi

Largo from Winter From The Season

Clarke

Trumpet Voluntary

Purcell 

Trumpet Tune

Pachelbel 

Canon in D

Bach 

Wachet auf 

Bach 

Arioso  

Bach 

Sheep may Safely Graze

Schumann 

Traumeri

Franck

Panis Angelicus

Beethoven 

Ode to Joy

Mozart

Alleluja from Exultate Jubilate

Mozart

Andante from Piano Concerto #21

Massenet

Meditation from Thais

Bach

Ave Maria

Mendelssohn

If with all your Hearts from Elijah

Bach 

My Heart Ever Faithful

Bach

Air on the G String from Suite #3 in D Major

Bach

Brandenburg Concerto # 2

Bach

Sheep May Safely Graze from Cantata #208

Schubert

Ave Maria

Mouret 

Rondeau (Masterpiece Theatre)

Purcell

Suite from the Fairy Queen

Handel 

Bourree

Handel 

La Rejouissance

Handel 

Minuet

Handel 

Largo from Xerxes

Bach

Bist du bei mir Bach  

Vivaldi 

The Four Seasons '' Excerpts

 

Please feel free to ask your consultant if you need assistance!

 

Selecting Your Wedding Music

For the music, most wedding ceremonies have six major parts, each with their own special requirements:

If you do not want to choose individual songs for your ceremony, our experienced wedding musicians will be able to play appropriate songs in the right places.  However, picking out your own music can be more meaningful and satisfying.

The Prelude

The purpose of the prelude music is to welcome guests as they are being seated before the ceremony. It also should give a cheerful yet subdued atmosphere, setting the stage for the solemnity of the event. The prelude generally begins 15 minutes before the ceremony start time since the ceremony may start a few minutes late.  It often includes 20+ minutes as guests are being seated and involves a number of songs.  Because of this, it’s best to give us an idea of the genre of music you want but you do not need to select all the songs.  

The Wedding Party’s Processional

The wedding party’s processional marks the official beginning of the ceremony. It should have a slow but flowing feel, ushering the beautiful bridesmaids and other members of the wedding party down the aisle. Perhaps the classic example here is Canon in D by Pachelbel, but many things work well.

The Bride’s Processional

The bride’s processional can be an incredible moment, as memorable to everyone involved as the vows or any other part of the ceremony. You should choose a very special song here. If you go with Classical music, the obvious traditional choice is Wagner’s Bridal Chorus “Here Comes the Bride”.  Any piece that strikes you as particularly beautiful or meaningful can be used here. Other popular choices are The Prince Of  Denmark’s March,  music from Handel’s Watermusic Suite, or Purcell’s Trumpet Tune.

The Interlude

The interlude can actually be many different moments in the ceremony.  A very loose definition being any time there are no words being spoken for a minute or more. For most ceremonies, the interlude is the unity candle, memorial candle, or rose presentation. These are moments of quiet reflection, and the music you choose should encourage this mood.

The Recessional

At last, time to celebrate! The wedding officiant’s pronouncement of husband and wife is followed by enthusiastic applause and joyous recessional music as the happy couple leads the way back up the aisle. The song you choose should be bright and upbeat, inviting everyone to celebrate your union. The top traditional choice for the recessional is Mendelssohn’s Wedding March. A close second and third are Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and The Trumpet Tune By Purcell, but any song with a joyous feel that speaks to you will work well in this spot.

The Postlude

The postlude sets a pleasant atmosphere as guests are leaving. It can last between 10-15 minutes, so it’s best to treat the postlude like the prelude and simply give the us an idea of what you want. Our experienced wedding musicians will play postlude music that is refined but upbeat, adding the finishing touch to your beautiful ceremony.

The best starting point for specific ceremony music ideas is the repertoire list above. The songs listed there are usually ones that the are requested frequently and we know work very well. If you have a special request that is not in our repertoire please let us know and we will do our best to make arrangements for it.

 

 

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