DO STRING QUARTETS ONLY PLAY CLASSICAL MUSIC?

NO! Thanks for reading.

All kidding aside, and forgive me my soapbox, but this is something near and to me. In popular culture, orchestral music (strings in particular) are equated with elevator music or a bit of sonic wallpaper. Many of us only recognize string instruments in the context of Muzak or the handful of pieces that regularly make appearance in movies and television programs. However, beyond the classical tradition of such storied names as Mozart and Beethoven, there are other traditions where strings are important, Karnatic violin from India, string bands from 19th century United States, multifarious fiddle traditions going back to at least the 17th century, blues, and jazz. And this only scratches the surface.

In contemporary use many of these traditions live on, plus there are film scores and musicals that use strings to great effect. And when we look at popular music starting in the 1960s we find great examples of string instruments being used, from Etta James’ “At Last” (my wife walked down the aisle to this ❤️) and The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby”, to groups groups like Metallica and Cypress Hill collaborating with world class orchestras, to samples used in hiphop, up through current artists that regularly perform live with orchestra on tour and late night TV. And of course we can’t forget the Bridgerton series, which has used string quartet arrangements of popular songs wonderfully.

With all of these options available, a well-versed string quartet can perform all types of music: classical, traditional, popular and more. If you are considering a string quartet for an event, I suggest you contact several ensembles and communicate what it is that you want. If one is not able to fit your needs, it doesn’t mean that another group might not be able to. You don’t need to have a specific playlist in mind, simply let them know the types of music (specific songs, artists, composers, genres) that you want, and they can help fill in the gaps.