We hired Fine Arts Strings to play at our wedding in Galveston, TX and they exceeded our expectations! John was a pleasure to work with through the entire process and the music sounded perfect and magical on our big day. If you are looking for a string quartet for your big day or special event, look no further than Fine Arts Strings! :) read more

This string quartet was hired to play a composition recital as part of my hubby's undergraduate music 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! read more

Fine Arts Strings - Musicians Near Me

This is an unusual review in that I did not actually have the pleasure of hearing these musicians perform at our wedding. However, based on customer service, I wish I could give more than 5 stars! We signed a contract with John in mid 2020 with the wedding date set for early November. As the date approached, the second wave of COVID was in full effect. John was so accommodating in letting us reschedule for New Years Eve. As the rescheduled date approached, we realized it still was not safe to have a wedding with numerous guests. My fiancé and I ended up getting married in a very small ceremony at our house. We still planned to have a large ceremony at some point and John said he would be more than willing to wait for the new date. Here we are, a year after the initial signing of the contract and the third wave of COVID is rearing its ugly head. We have decided not to have any type of ceremony in order to ensure the safety of our friends and family. When I explained this to John, he quickly offered a full refund. We received the refund the same day! I sincerely hope that we will have the honor of using Fine Arts Strings in the near future. read more

Fine Arts Strings really added a special touch to my daughter's wedding. There is nothing compared to musicians playing beautiful music as the bride walks down the aisle. I felt like their fees were extremely reasonable considering what they added to the wedding. They were very easy to work with, so much so that I thought something was wrong. But, no! Choosing them is just a drama-free choice to add a lasting memory to the day. I would definitely recommend, and I will use them again if I ever host another large event. read more

I hired Fine Arts Strings to play for my wedding ceremony in February of 2010 and was so impressed! We planned our wedding quickly and the group was professional and flexible throughout the process. I am a musician myself, so the music at the ceremony was a very important part of my wedding. The quartet did not disappoint! We had so many compliments about the beautiful music at our ceremony, and I'm so glad we hired this group! read more

Fine Arts Strings - Musicians Near Me

See all

John and his group of musicians are the utmost of professional in every way. I have had the pleasure of working with them on many occassions and they never cease to amaze me. Their musical abilities are excellent and they are highly trained in their field. I honestly can not recommend them highly enough! Truly superior! read more

We came across Fine Arts Strings online while searching for a string quarter to play during our wedding ceremony. They were incredible and are an extremely talented group. They provide you with a beautiful list of songs to choose from and even helped arrange one for us that wasn't on their list. John is very profressional, responsive, and makes the process very easy for you. They were great to work with. Highly recommended!! read more

I first heard the Fine Arts Strings when they did my sister's wedding five years ago. Their music made her ceremony absolutely magical so there was no doubt who I was going to hire when I got engaged. And they did not disappoint. They were great to work with. I always got a a speedy response to any questions and they even accommodated our special request for our first dance. They were the best part of our ceremony and so many of our guests commented on how great the music sounded. I cannot recommend them highly enough,, you can not do better than Fine Arts Strings! read more

John and his group of musicians are nothing short of amazing! He is the utmost of professional, and has a huge repertoire of songs available. He was also willing to learn a more contemporary song I wanted played....at no additional charge! Such a delight, and also quite affordable! Will use again! read more

This group of musicians played at our wedding rehearsal dinner for my son at the Houston Goode Seafood Restaurant, and the performance was outstanding! Our guests raved about the beautiful ensemble of classical music. They played while the guests arrived and set an energetic and vibrant tone while people mingled and chatted. They are Houston orchestra pros who far exceeded our expectations. Initially, I was sold because they have played for Presidents George H. W. Bush and George Bush, but it was the quality of their performance that created an ambiance of royalty and serenity in a most comfortable setting that will be remembered as a highlight of our son's wedding weekend. If John Randolph should ever need a reference, I will gladly be available. Update: Dear Yelp- I wrote this review 7 months ago and learned yesterday that you posted it in an inconspicuous and remote area of your website. I am more than mildly irritated! Yelp, in effect, diminished my sincere and honest opinions. As a remedy, please post it in a prominent area of your website as I intended, or communicate with me if you choose to toss my comments to the woodpile! read more

John and his Fine Arts Strings are among the finest musicians in Houston. They are all highly-trained professionals who are reliable and flexible, in addition to playing beautiful music of all styles. John is an honest businessman who pays attention to the smallest details and strives to provide the very best musical experience to all his clients. The Fine Arts Strings are an excellent choice to add class and beautiful music to any event. read more

I had a fantastic experience with the Fine Arts Strings. What I really loved about them was that of all my vendors they were consistently the most punctual about returning calls or e-mails. In dealing with the owner there was a real attention to details on his part that gave me such a feeling of reassurance. And on the wedding day, I wasn't disappointed. The music was so beautiful, I felt like I was floating down the aisle. I love this group. You will too!! I promise! read more

Sometimes it's the small things that leave the biggest impact. The hour that the string quartet played was absolutely one of the high points of my daughter's wedding. They played during the seating time thru the recessional, for about an hour. If I had it to do over, I would have had them continue on during the cocktail hour as well. You can hear clips of their excellent musicianship on the clips on their website and they sound every bit as good live. We challenged them with some unconventional music selections that were of particular importance to us. They rose to the challenge and executed the music exactly as we had hoped. They are professional, personable, easy to work with, are great at communication, and super musicians. My only regret (aside from not having them play for longer) is that we didn't get a recording of their performance. I have nothing but the highest praise to offer. read more