This string quartet was hired to play a composition recital as part of my hubby's undergraduate…read moremusic degree requirement. They were also hired by another student for their recital. They claim to be one of Houston's leading ensembles and the founder a graduate of Rice's School of Music, according to their website. They sounded pretty reputable.
The other student's recital was scheduled before my hubby's so we got to see them in action a couple weeks before we would use them. My first impression I was kinda surprised by their appearance. From several years of going to performances I'm used to performance musicians wearing all black, it's pretty much the uniform. You can expect it from the Houston Symphony all the way down to your kid's piano recital. So I was a little confused when there were khakis and colored shirts.
They performed in two pieces, one that was just the quartet and one with other instruments. The quartet piece they came to a halt in the middle of the piece because one of the violins went out of tune. The audience was confused, so the other violinist yelled out, "SHE NEEDS TO TUNE!" So did she forget to tune before they started or is she playing a broken violin? In the second piece the whole quartet jumped and cringed in the seats when the drums started. The male player, who I believe is the founder of the quartet, covered his ears the whole time during the drum section. I'm sure this looked great to everyone that he seemed to despise the music. He also knocked over his music stand during the piece. This all happened while they were onstage! I'm sorry but this is bizarre behavior from performance musicians, and I'm sure in anyone's opinion not professional.
So I sat there thinking "is it really too late to go with someone else?!" Sadly, it was too late and I dreaded what would happen at my hubby's recital. Three days before his recital was scheduled Fine Arts Strings canceled on us! Seriously! This is the last thing required before graduation and guess what it keeps him from graduating. We were in a panic on how to fix it. I called Divisi Strings, they played the quartet originally at our wedding, and success! They were willing and available to play with three days notice! We hadn't checked with them originally because Fine Arts Quartet was giving us a "discount" because of the nature of the performance. Come to find Divisi Strings would do it for cheaper! Sadly the Dean of Music at my hubby's school would not approve the change with such short notice.
So thanks Fine Arts Strings you have kept my hubby from graduating this semester. We are still waiting to find out from the Dean if the school is going to make us pay tuition again for when the recital is rescheduled, because the student is required to be enrolled. So they cost him his graduation and possibly another several thousand dollars in tuition!
Divisi Strings is great and I love them and their true professionalism and talent. We should have never gone with anyone else.
If you feel like you need to go with Fine Arts Strings make sure to demand they sign a contract or they could leave you high and dry as well!
