Engagement Party•Reviewed on December 17, 2024•From New York City, NY
The artist was very sweet. However, I did feel a bit bothered by the agreed upon plan and the execusion of the event along with the insistance on payment immediately despite not delivering as much as requested.
The song requested was not played along with the fact that the artist stopped playing and for a total of 5 minutes of work I was charged $500, I expected to at least have music play for at least 10 mintues. Within an hour of finishing the event; on the day of my engagement, I recieved multiple phone calls to remind me of the payment while I was at dinner. I thought it would be obvious to not press someone for payment hours after their engagement.
Review by Josh K.
Wedding Reception•Reviewed on July 25, 2016•From Long Island City, NY
I was so impressed by Amy Bateman and the musicians she works with. I really challenged them by giving them original works to play that were not in their repetoire and they rose to the occassion, playing the difficult pieces flawlessly. One of the benefits of being in New York City is having access to musicians of this caliber for your wedding. You should feel honored and lucky if you are able to book them.
Review by Lisa D.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on July 25, 2016•From New York City, NY
Charlie and his crew did such an amazing job at our wedding! Leading up to the point, he was calm, professional and very informative on how the process works! He was able to accommodate last minute requests we asked for! They showed up on time and slipped out unnoticed! My guests enjoyed the music during the cocktail hour and while waiting for me to come down the aisle! Excellent job, SO glad we decided to go with The New York String Ensemble!!
Review by Peter R.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on May 12, 2016•From Brooklyn, NY
I would definitely recommend The New York String Ensemble to anyone. Charlie Apicella, the head of the Ensemble, is very up-front, professional, and easy to worth with. Their rates are reasonable and their contract is straightforward. They are also flexible. Most importantly, their performance was phenomenal. They hit every cue and knew exactly when and how to cut off for different elements of the ceremony (in addition to processional and recessional music, we had short interludes for candle lighting during the ceremony which required the trio to find an appropriate time and manner to cease playing before the ceremony to continue.)
Review by Ave I.
Community Event•Reviewed on September 28, 2016•From New York City, NY
Charlie and his band were a pleasure to work with. This was my first time planning a professional event and Charlie was extremely accommodating and made the experience a breeze. I would highly recommend Charlie to everyone. Their performance was superb and they were keen on following the set itinerary to work with all the events of the evening.
Very talented and professional.
Review by Sharon B.
Wedding•Reviewed on July 11, 2015•From Block Island, RI
Amy did an incredible job at our wedding. She was incredibly professional and she performed beautifully. She played for our wedding ceremony. The wedding march song was a surprise for my new husband: "Is This Love" by Bob Marley. Amy and her husband did an incredible job adapting the song for violin and it came out beautifully (I get a little teary hearing it on our wedding video). She performed exactly as requested, was prompt and exceeded all my expectations. Thank you for helping to make our day special.
Review by Kate D.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on July 6, 2015•From Brooklyn, NY
Charlie was great! We did a lot on rather short notice and he was great to work with. Thank you for making our ceremony so beautiful!
Review by Marisa P.
Wedding•Reviewed on June 11, 2014•From New York City, NY
I can't tell you enough how talented, accommodating, professional, friendly and so well put together these gentlemen were. I hit the jackpot with these musicians! They are now 'my go to jazz band' for all wedding requests. Great job guys!
Review by Susan R.
Event•Reviewed on February 25, 2013•From Philadelphia, PA
Everything was perfect--music, variety, skill, personalities--I would hire this group again in a heartbeat. And several of my guests were / are very competent, educated musicians, and they felt as I do.
Review by Debra Y.
Corporate Function•Reviewed on January 25, 2013•From New York City, NY
Charlie Apicella and his band were great! They scouted out the site ahead of time so they were familiar with the logistics in advance. They were pretty much self sufficient and allowed me to tend to the needs of my guests. They came prepared with a disc to play during breaks, so there was never 'dead air.' And the live music was phenomenal. Everyone commented on how great the band was, and even though it was a corporate function, we even had guests dancing! These guys did a great job, showed up early, worked hard and worked within my budget. Couldn't ask for more.
Review by Jason C.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on November 10, 2013•From New York City, NY
We are very happy to have chosen The New York String Ensemble to play our wedding ceremony. Charlie and his wife Amy played guitar and violin as a duo, and were able to work with the church's music coordinator and organist to arrange for smooth transitions between strings and organ pieces. Charlie and Amy are flexible and were able to accommodate our wishes. The result was amazing!
Great job!
Review by Jessica Y.
Wedding Reception•Reviewed on June 5, 2014•From Norwalk, CT
Charlie and the whole ensemble were excellent--thoughtful, accommodating, and talented. We were very indecisive throughout the entire process, for example having a hard time choosing the order of the reception (dinner and then dancing? dancing and then dinner? dancing, dinner, dancing? etc.); Charlie was a great help in nudging us along. We felt educated and supported, which meant a lot to us. On the actual day of our wedding, everything was seamless. We loved the band's delicacy during the ceremony, their verve during the reception, and their general feel. Could not recommend more highly.
Review by Arthur B.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on April 30, 2013•From Long Island, NY
Being a musician that has played in weddings, I wanted to make sure that the quality of music that was played at our ceremony was top-notch. NY String Ensemble certainly went BEYOND my expectations. The group was very professional in preparing our music. The music at the ceremony was played so well and coordinated with what we wanted, that audience members were raving about how the music gave the ceremony so much more life!
I give perfect scores because everything was so perfect, So much that Charlie wore our wedding colors - purely coincidental, but worth mentioning :) Thank you so much for everything you did to make our wedding so special!
Review by Alex K.
Valentine's Day Party•Reviewed on February 14, 2013•From Bronx, NY
Charlie and Amy were very nice and friendly. Charlie was great to perform at our event with not much notice. They played beautiful music that everyone loved.
Review by Matt T.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on November 3, 2013•From Brookhaven, NY
Amy was great to work with. We were in regular contact to ensure everything would go as planned. Everything turned out great and I would gladly recommend the New York String Ensemble to anyone in need a string quartet.
Review by John P.
Concert•Reviewed on December 31, 2012•From Palisades Park, NJ
The Mayans were correct . . .
We had a Classical/Holiday Concert & Wine/Cheese Social at our church, featuring the New York String Ensemble, on the day that was to be the end of the world. Our world didn't exactly end, but a new one did begin. A world of enjoyable and entertaining music, as the NYSE w/Guitar, serenaded us into a world of relaxation and holiday spirit. This group is not only amazingly talented, but a harmonious blend of wonderful people, in addition to their musical prowess. They are a first-rate string quartet, and we are certainly looking forward to making this an annual event.
I highly recommend this group.
-John Portscher
Review by Joshua P.
Engagement Party•Reviewed on July 13, 2012•From New York City, NY
Charlie was very professional and on point. We went through all of my requests and schedule for the evening and he made it happen. It was a surprise party for my girlfriend so important he got there on time, set up, and ready to perform by the time we arrived and he executed perfectly.
Review by Kristin K.
Event•Reviewed on January 30, 2012•From New York City, NY
Amy Bateman and Charlie Apicella are two fabulous artists who love music and happy to share their gift. Their music transformed the evening of women leaders that I had planned by adding warmth and beauty. They were also terrific to deal with, and I will be calling them again for my future events.
Review by Patrick M.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on November 6, 2012•From Medford, NY
Very pleased. Great price and Quality would definelty recommend.
Review by Ed R.
Birthday Party (Adult)•Reviewed on January 3, 2012•From Hartford, CT
The New York String Ensemble was the hit of our party. They were timely and talented. I would strongly suggest the musicians.
Review by Ashley A.
Community Event•Reviewed on July 1, 2013•From Port Washington, NY
The event was great, and we greatly appreciate the professionalism and quality of music from The New York String Ensemble.
Review by Valerie B.
Wedding•Reviewed on July 10, 2013•From Galloway, NJ
Charlie and his band are so talented! They provided all of the music for our June 2013 wedding. Their cool jazz sound set the tone for our whole day (ceremony, cocktail hour and reception). Carrie Jackson's vocals were amazing. Her voice was captavating.
The New York String Ensemble was a pleasure to work with!
Review by Michael C.
Studio Session•Reviewed on May 31, 2013•From New York City, NY
I had booked The New York String Ensemble to record an original score written for a string quartet by a composer to accompany an original piece of recorded music I had written. Not your average gig. They came in having rehearsed the parts prior to the recording and showed great dedication to getting as good as it could be. Everyone involved, myself and two very expirienced recording engineers were thriilled with the results. Amy, Caleb, Mario and Patrick were all complete professionals. I would have to say my experience with The New York String Ensemble was a high could not have been more pleased. A high point in my musical journey which has included 100+ recordings
Review by Grace L.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on May 27, 2013•From New York City, NY
Amazing and incredibly professional. Would not hesitate to refer to friends and family. They were easy to work with and we really enjoyed having them be a part of our wedding ceremony.
Review by Karen G.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on June 7, 2014•From Long Island City, NY
