Melodious Strings was a dream to work with - we hired a quartet for our ceremony and cocktail hour! This group went above and beyond for us - I requested religious hymns that I only had choral arrangements for and they not only arranged the music for the quartet itself, but personally worked with our church's piano/organ player to arrange her ensemble pieces as well! We were planning our wedding from across the country and this group made the entire experience so easy! They arrived extra early to the church to practice with our pianist/organist since they had never played together before. The music was beautiful - everything that we had imagined! We got so many compliments from our guests about their talent, professionalism, and kindness! The absolute best!
-Candice Manning, 10/26/2019 bride at First Methodist Church in Salem, Virginia and Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia.
![]() Anna Sammel began her violin and music studies at a young age. The nature of her father's profession provided her the opportunity to travel all over the world, which exposed and introduced to her many types and genres of music, greatly influencing Anna as a musician.
She received her Bachelor of Music in violin performance from James Madison University, studying classically under Dr. Wanchi Huang and Dr. Dina Nesterenko, and is currently pursuing her masters degree in violin performance at George Mason University, studying under Professor June Huang. In addition to performing professionally for weddings and other special events regularly, Anna enjoys being an active member of the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra in Fredericksburg, is a member of the pit orchestra at the Riverside Dinner Theater in Fredericksburg, and is a member of the Pan Am Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. Anna currently resides in Stafford, where she provides private instruction in violin and viola. Photography by Ashley Vanley |
Wedding at Early Mountain Vineyards. Photography by Natalie Jayne Photography.
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Stanley Beckwith is a full-time violist and teacher in Charlottesville, Virginia. Stanley is the principal violist of the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra; additionally, he has worked with numerous orchestras and chamber ensembles, including such groups as the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Greater Washington, the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Chamber Orchestra and the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra. He is also the violist of the Triforce Quartet, a string quartet that performs video game music for audiences both nationally and internationally. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Stanley has studied with teachers George Taylor and Helen Fall.
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