May 3, 2010 - Wedding Season has begun!

We have had many exciting engagments over the past few weeks!

This past week we preformed for an event celebrating Israel’s Independence Day at the UPenn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The whole event was beautifully done and it was exciting to be a part of!

We also performed for some very beautiful weddings at Aldie Mansion in Doylestown, Old St Joe’s in Society Hill and at the Cescaphe Ballroom in Northern Liberties. Of course, the beautiful weather helped make these spectacular events!

This week we will be at the Hyatt at the Bellevue for Philadelphia University’s fundraising gala. It should be an exciting evening.

Wedding season is upon us, and we are looking forward to some extraordinary venues in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

April 9, 2010

Join us next week as two members from RSQ will be featured at a strings showcase at the Music and Arts Center in Horsham! We will be conducting an interactive in-store performance, both playing pieces and discussing the differences between different quality instruments and accessories. Hope to see you there!

Saturday, April 17, 2010 from 11am - 1pm @ 490 Easton Road in Horsham, PA

April 5, 2010

Easter Week was a busy one for RSQ, playing for services throughout the region. On Good Friday we performed the Mozart Requiem at St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Wayne with Dr. Gordon Turk. Proceeds from this concert all went to the Haiti Relief Fund. The church was packed and the choir was in top form.

On Good Friday evening Rittenhouse Orchestras joined combined choirs at the Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli for “The Seven Last Words of Christ” by Dubois. This rarely performed work is really beautiful, so if you ever have the opportunity to hear it, you should give it a listen! Phil McClelland, tenor with RSQ, was the tenor soloist in the work. It was tight quarters for us up in the loft, but Rick Zuch, interim Music Director at Good Sam made us all forget any discomforts and focus on the music and the event. It was our first time working with Rick as a conductor, and we hope it is the first of many with this fine musician.

On Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday morning we returned to the always

Easter at St. Peter

beautiful service at St Peters in Merchantville, NJ. The flowers were absolutely stunning, and the choir and folks at St Pete’s treat us like family. John Tenaglia, Music Director, was preparing for gall bladder surgery on Easter Monday, but you would never have known it. He and his wife Joan (soprano soloist) were as upbeat and kind as ever, and being with the folks in the choir at St Pete’s is like being with family.

Musicians from RSQ also played services during Holy Week at St Thomas More in Cherry Hill and the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Kennett Square.

RSQ members are Christian, Jewish and Buddhist, but regardless of our faiths, we always enjoy sharing meaningful spiritual experiences through music! Thank you to all of the people (and houses of worship!)  for having us as your guests!

Next up? April 17 we will be hosting an interactive demonstration and discussion on the difference in quality of student and professional string instruments at the Music and Arts Center in Horsham.

April 26 we are playing for the Israeli Consulate General as they celebrate Israeli Independence Day at the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. We will be shifting gears completely, playing predominately Israeli music for this important event.

Thanks for reading, hope you’re all enjoying the Spring time!

February 19, 2010

Last night we performed for the opening gala of the Ancient Rome and America exhibit at the National Constitution Center!! The exhibit is fascinating as any other, and we had a great time playing, as usual! Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area - it will be on display through April.

In other news, we are booking up fast for Spring and Summer! We’re excited to dive into another season of beautiful weddings. Please take a look at our calendar page as there are many opportunities to our see ensembles perform live over the next few months!

From the archives: Here is a clip of Rittenhouse Orchestras performing with the choir of St. Luke’s in Germantown in October 2009!

Rittenhouse Orchestra with the choir of St. Luke’s in Germantown

December 7, 2009

Recording

Over October and November we have participated in a couple recording sessions as studio musicians for two different upcoming documentaries. The first one is for a NASCAR documnetary, one in a series that we have recorded for over the past few years.

 The second, according to the New York Times, is an independent film entitled “Smash His Camera,” the story of a reviled paparazzo from the director Leon Gast, which will be competing in the 2010 Sundance Film Festival! The sessions were a lot of fun and went really well!

October 24, 2009

We recently performed Haydn’s Mass in Troubled TImes at the beautfiul St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Germantown! The folks at St. Luke’s were so wonderful to work with, and the audience was equally as welcoming. We hope to be back soon!

St. Luke's in Germantown

October 1, 2009

On Thursday, October 1st, RSQ performed at the opening of Diana: A Celebration at the National Constitution Center! The 10,000 square foot exhibition explores Diana’s childhood, her engagement to HRH Prince Charles, their royal wedding, their children and Diana’s life and work as a global humanitarian and model citizen. The over 150 artifacts include Diana’s royal wedding gown, diamond tiara, veil, 25 foot train, shoes, parasol, and bridesmaid dress. Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, was in attendance a guest speaker for the event. It was an honor to be a part of such an extraordinary gathering!!

May 15, 2009

RSQ played for 4 shows on QVC last week

The Rittenhouse String Quartet was very excited to return to QVC last week! We have participated in the selling of many products over the years, most recently the CD for the Trans Siberian Orchestra.

This time we were invited by the Bose Corporation, to celebrate their anniversary of selling on QVC. We had a great time going through the studios, working with the very entertaining hosts, and adding the “sophistication” associated with a quality product like BOSE.

Joan Rivers was selling her jewelry in the studio across the hall, which added to the glamour of the event! We played for 4 shows over a 3 day period, and can’t wait to go back to QVC!

May 6, 2009

This weekend, RSQ will be performing on QVC for 4 shows for the BOSE Corporation. Look for us on QVC this Sat, May 9 at 3, Sun., May 10 at 4 and 10 PM and Monday, May 11 at 6 PM!

Join us at St Peter’s Church in Merchantville, NJ for a special mass on May 17 at 3 PM, where music will be featured throughout the service

St. Peter's in Merchantville, NJ

Wedding season is upon us, and RSQ will be playing for weddings throughout the region! This past weekend RSQ played at Plymouth Country Club, Trinity Church in Solebury, Bucks County, Broad Street Ministry in Center City and the United Methodist Church in Bala Cynwyd.  This weekend? besides QVC we will be playing at the Westin in Center City and at Jarrettown United Methodist Church in Dresher, PA!

Rittenhouse Orchestras will be returning to Ocean Grove, NJ this summer on July 30. Stay tuned for details!

May 1, 2009

The concert on March 30 featuring KAREN BANOS at the Church of the Advent in Kennett Square raised $2300 for the arson victims of Coatesville, PA!

Jack Hill - photo by Lori M. Nichols (NJ.com)

On April 29 Rittenhouse Orchestras played a wonderful concert with the choir at Clearview Regional High School. The Faure Requiem was the featured piece, and it was the final performance of choir director Jack Hill, who is retiring at the end of this school year. RSQ has had a longstanding collaboration with Jack Hill, and his outstanding choirs have been a privelege to work with. We look forward to seeing what he will be doing in retirement!!