Featured

Midnight on the Water

Top Performer

Philadelphia, PA

$250 and up

Travels up to 150 miles

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Fiddle tunes (Hawkins / Murphy / Krumm)

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Live house concert: Mazurka des écoliers de Saint Genest (Chabenat)

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Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (JS Bach)

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Impromptu holiday tunes

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Georgia On My Mind (Ray Charles)

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Waking Up (Alter)

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All Of My Love (Led Zeppelin)

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Performing at Ashokan's Summer HOOT

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Performing alongside Jay Ungar and Molly Mason

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Summer HOOT 2025 Pewter Shop series

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Folk College 2024

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Ashokan New Years Eve 2024

Overview

Philly's most innovative string ensemble, playing classical, jazz, trad, pop, and the uncategorizable! There're lots of great groups out there, but what makes us unique is (1) the range of styles we not only perform but actually feel at home in; (2) the fact that we do all our own organizing, arrangements, and performances, resulting in a product that's at once more professional and personal; and (3) our blend of deep expertise and youthful excitement to play with one another and for you. Check out our repertoire in the "Set List" tab below our reviews!


Reviews

35 reviews

Small thumbnail image for reviewer Emily C.

Emily C.

May 12, 2026
Verified review

They were awesome!!

Midnight on the Water played for my wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. They took our general requests and specific requests ahead of time and played exactly what we asked for. It was beautiful!!! I only wish I could’ve frozen time to take it all in even more. I also heard only great things from the wedding guest. 12/10 - great to work with and exceeded my expectations!!!

Hired as: Celtic Music, String Trio, Wedding Band


Small thumbnail image for reviewer Alicia H.

Alicia H.

March 27, 2026
Verified review

Amazing!!!

We were blown away!!! Would highly recommend. We hired the band for our daughter’s 1st birthday. They played an amazing set and were so personable.

Hired as: Celtic Music


Small thumbnail image for reviewer Mary A. K.

Mary A. K.

September 18, 2025
Verified review

Cellist was terrific

Booked last year and everything went as planned.

Hired as: Cellist


Small thumbnail image for reviewer Sarah D.

Sarah D.

September 8, 2025
Verified review

Beautiful Music, Wonderful Team

We heard about Midnight On the Water from my MIL as she knows Tom from many years ago. We trust their judgement as they are also musicians and are so happy to have found this band. Working with Nathan was a breeze. They were able to play the songs we requested for our ceremony and some lovely tunes while our guests arrived and were seated. While we didn't get to listen to all of their playing since we were preparing for the day, the moments standing waiting to walk, it sounded lovely and really helped set the mood for our garden ceremony. Highly recommend Midnight on the Water, worth every penny!

Hired as: String Trio


Small thumbnail image for reviewer Denise D.

Denise D.

May 21, 2025
Verified review

We loved the music!

Midnight on the Water was professional, on time, and played beautifully for my daughter's wedding celebration.

Hired as: Mandolin Player, String Trio

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Booking information

Price range: $250 and up

Languages: English

What to expect

Our years of experience performing music *and also* working with people and organizations mean that you can expect the highest standards of professionalism and musicianship from us. What's most unique about us, however, is our personal touch. Unlike other ensembles that feature a rotating cast of musicians under a single brand name, we're just us - Tom, Nathan, and Dani - and we do all our own correspondence, arranging, and performing. This results in a more distinctive, spontaneous, and mature sound, and also means that from the initial booking through through correspondence & preparation to your event itself, you'll be working with the same people who will actually perform for you.

When you book us, one of us (Tom, Nathan, or Dani) will be in touch with you to learn more about your event and how we can best enhance it. We'll provide a detailed contract so that all the logistical details (like arrival times, repertoire, sick policies, etc) are crystal clear. We'll stay in touch with you after signing to answer any further questions that arise as you prepare your event, and also, if you want, to custom-tailor a set list with you.

We rehearse a lot so that at your event our focus can be on you. Our specific goals differ widely for different types of events. At wedding ceremonies, parties, and receptions, our aim is to enhance the ambiance, not to be the center of attention. At events like concerts and contradances, our aim is to fully enthrall your ears - maybe with sounds so irresistible you and your guests can't NOT get up and dance. Again, we're happy to dialogue with you to learn what your goals our for your specific event!

In performance, we're unique in the range of musical styles we can feel at home in - again, that was the whole idea of our ensemble to begin with. We're happy to play complete programs of classical music, jazz, pop, or North Atlantic fiddle styles as well or better than any ensemble that specializes in these styles - or we can mix them together in whatever combination suits your taste!

About

Midnight on the Water started as an idea. The three of us have collectively played well over one thousand performances with classical, jazz, trad, and pop ensembles, but rarely have we met other string players who are equally at home across all those musical contexts - until we met one another! What would happen, we thought, if the three of us got together to play ALL the music in a single ensemble? Three years of music later, we're more excited about playing together than when we began, and we can't wait to play for you.

Collectively, we've played several hundred weddings over more than a decade and won repeated best-of awards from event coordinators like Gigmasters, Wedding Wire, and the Knot; founded and directed several music & dance programs and festivals; performed at venues like New York's Carnegie Hall, Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art, Prague's Rudolfinum, and on every continent except for South America and Antarctica; received degrees in music performance, musicology, and ethnomusicology from schools like the New England Conservatory, Berklee, and Princeton; and taught music at schools including Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Swarthmore College.

You can see more information at our website (link hidden)

Additional booking notes

We require three armless chairs and, if playing outside, complete coverage. (Violins really don't like water!) We generally play acoustically, but depending on the repertoire you want for your event and the size of the space, we can also provide amplification.

Upcoming booked events

June 2027

26

Saturday

Wedding Reception

5:00pm - 6:30pm

Kempton, PA

August 2026

07

Friday

Wedding Reception

7:00pm - 7:45pm

Doylestown, PA

08

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

4:30pm - 6:30pm

Philadelphia, PA

December 2026

12

Saturday

Birthday Party

5:00pm - 8:00pm

Havertown, PA

Past booked events

May 2026

07

Thursday

Corporate Event

2:30pm - 3:30pm

Williamsport, PA

02

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

3:00pm - 5:00pm

Lambertville, NJ

March 2026

21

Saturday

Birthday Party

3:00pm - 5:00pm

Williamstown, NJ

17

Tuesday

Retirement Community Event

4:00pm - 5:00pm

Exton, PA

17

Tuesday

Nonprofit Event

2:00pm - 3:00pm

Allentown, PA

October 2025

18

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

5:00pm - 6:00pm

Macungie, PA

05

Sunday

Nonprofit Event

3:30pm - 5:00pm

Bryn Mawr, PA

September 2025

12

Friday

Wedding Ceremony

4:30pm - 5:30pm

Wilmington, DE

06

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

3:30pm - 4:30pm

Fort Washington, PA

May 2025

17

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

2:00pm - 3:00pm

Bethlehem, PA

16

Friday

Wedding Reception

7:00pm - 9:00pm

Richboro, PA

03

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

4:30pm - 6:30pm

Bethany Beach, DE

March 2025

26

Wednesday

Wedding Ceremony

1:00pm - 1:15pm

Philadelphia, PA

16

Sunday

Nonprofit Event

11:30am - 12:30pm

Cherry Hill, NJ

09

Sunday

Concert

4:00pm - 5:00pm

Elizabethtown, PA

08

Saturday

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party

7:30pm - 8:30pm

Philadelphia, PA

February 2025

14

Friday

Retirement Community Event

5:00pm - 6:00pm

Wayne, PA

December 2024

24

Tuesday

Worship Service

3:30pm - 5:00pm

New Holland, PA

November 2024

23

Saturday

Dinner Party

5:00pm - 7:00pm

Philadelphia, PA

October 2024

26

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

3:30pm - 4:30pm

Highland Park, NJ

23

Wednesday

Surprise

6:00pm - 6:15pm

Kennett Square, PA

19

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

3:30pm - 5:30pm

Big Indian, NY

12

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

4:30pm - 5:30pm

Phoenixville, PA

September 2024

14

Saturday

Wedding Reception

5:00pm - 6:00pm

Philadelphia, PA

August 2024

31

Saturday

Wedding Cocktail Hour

5:00pm - 6:00pm

Limerick Township, PA

31

Saturday

Personal Occasion

11:30am - 2:30pm

Woodbury, NJ

23

Friday

Personal Occasion

6:30pm - 7:00pm

Philadelphia, PA

03

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

4:00pm - 5:30pm

Annandale, NJ

02

Friday

Contradance (Glen Echo DC)

7:00pm - 10:00pm

June 2024

28

Friday

Wedding Ceremony

5:00pm - 6:00pm

Whitehouse Station, NJ

08

Saturday

Cocktail Party

4:00pm - 5:00pm

Pottstown, PA

May 2024

18

Saturday

Funeral/Memorial Service

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Philadelphia, PA

12

Sunday

Wedding Ceremony

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Pequea, PA

11

Saturday

Contradance (New York NY)

7:00pm - 10:00pm

10

Friday

Funeral/Memorial Service

9:30am - 10:30am

Berwyn, PA

05

Sunday

Contradance (Arden DE)

1:30pm - 5:00pm

03

Friday

Dinner Party

5:30pm - 6:30pm

Big Indian, NY

April 2024

27

Saturday

Wedding Reception

6:00pm - 7:00pm

Phoenixville, PA

21

Sunday

Contradance (Brooklyn NY)

7:00pm - 10:00pm

10

Wednesday

Contradance (Princeton NJ)

7:00pm - 10:00pm

05

Friday

Contradance (Ottsville PA)

7:00pm - 9:30pm

March 2024

30

Saturday

Funeral/Memorial Service

2:00pm - 3:00pm

Pottstown, PA

27

Wednesday

Cocktail Party

3:30pm - 4:30pm

Moorestown, NJ

22

Friday

Wedding Ceremony

2:30pm - 3:30pm

Hopewell, NJ

16

Saturday

Christmas Party

6:00pm - 7:30pm

Jenkintown, PA

16

Saturday

House Party

3:00pm - 4:00pm

Pennington, NJ

16

Saturday

Personal Occasion

12:00pm - 2:00pm

Philadelphia, PA

February 2024

24

Saturday

Benefit Concert

7:00pm - 10:00pm

24

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

1:15am - 2:30am

23

Friday

Funeral/Memorial Service

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Holicong, PA

December 2023

09

Saturday

Wedding Engagement

5:00pm - 6:00pm

Philadelphia, PA

02

Saturday

Christmas Party

7:30pm - 9:00pm

Mount Laurel, NJ

November 2023

26

Sunday

Concert

3:00pm - 4:30pm

Glenside, PA

18

Saturday

Surprise

2:00pm - 2:30pm

Philadelphia, PA

October 2023

22

Sunday

Wedding Ceremony

6:30pm - 8:00pm

Brooklyn, NY

14

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

5:00pm - 7:00pm

Hampton, NJ

07

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

4:00pm - 5:00pm

Doylestown, PA

September 2023

23

Saturday

Wedding Ceremony

5:30pm - 7:00pm

Somers Point, NJ

16

Saturday

Surprise

7:00pm - 7:30pm

Philadelphia, PA

16

Saturday

Funeral/Memorial Service

2:00pm - 4:00pm

Coatesville, PA

03

Sunday

Fundraiser

3:00pm - 5:00pm

Philadelphia, PA

February 2023

15

Wednesday

House Concert

3:00pm - 4:30pm

Philadelphia, PA

Set list

Our set lists vary widely depending on the type of event we're playing, and we're always happy to create custom set lists for clients. In general, we can play any repertoire advertised by any string ensemble. Here is some of what we've played for folks in the past!

POP TUNES:
Abba -- Dancing Queen
Adele -- Easy on Me
Adele -- Rumour Has It
Adele -- Set Fire to the Rain
Adele -- Someone Like You
Adele -- To Make You Feel My Love
Aha -- Take on Me
Beatles -- All You Need is Love
Beatles -- Something
Ben E. King -- Stand by Me
Ben Platt -- Grow As We Go
Beyoncé -- Run the World
Bill Withers -- Lean on Me
Bill Withers -- Just the Two of Us
Billy Joel -- She's Got A Way
BTS -- Dynamite
Camila Cabello -- Havana
Chappell Roan -- Red Wine Supernova
Chris Stapleton -- Tennessee Whiskey
Coldplay -- Yellow
Coldplay -- Viva La Vida
Coldplay -- Clocks
Cristina Perri -- A Thousand Years
Dan + Shay -- Speechless
Diana Ross -- I'm Coming Out
Dua Lipa -- Levitating
Ed Sheeran -- Shape of You
Ed Sheeran -- Thinking out Loud
Ed Sheeran -- Perfect
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros -- Home
Elton John -- Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Elvis -- Can't Help Falling in Love
Eric Clapton -- Wonderful Tonight
Etta James -- At Last
Girls Aloud -- Can't Speak French
Greatest Showman -- A Million Dreams
Hall & Oates -- Rich Girl
Harry Styles -- Watermelon Sugar
Hozier -- Take Me to Church
Jack Johnson -- Better Together
Jackson 5 -- Want You Back
John Legend -- All of Me
Journey -- Don't Stop Believing
Judy Garland -- Somewhere Over the Rainbow
K-Pop Demon Hunters -- Golden
King Harvest -- Dancing in the Moonlight
Lady Gaga -- Bad Romance
Lady Gaga -- Always Remember Us This Way
Led Zeppelin -- All of My Love
Leonard Cohen -- Hallelujah
Lori Lieberman -- Killing Me Softly With His Song
Louis Armstrong -- What a Wonderful World
Luis Fonsi -- Despacito
Madonna -- Material Girl
Michael Jackson -- Smooth Criminal
Miley Cyrus -- You
Muse -- Blackout
Natalie Cole -- This Will Be
Nirvana -- In Bloom
Nirvana -- Smells Like Teen Spirit
One Direction -- What Makes You Beautiful
Outkast -- So Fresh And So Clean
Ray Charles -- Georgia On My Mind
Sam Tinnesz -- Play with Fire
Sarah Bareilles -- One Sweet Love
Simon & Garfunkle -- Sound of Silence
Stevie Wonder -- Isn't She Lovely
Stevie Wonder -- Overjoyed
SZA -- Nobody Gets Me
Taylor Swift -- Enchanted
Taylor Swift -- Love Story
The Animals -- House of the Rising Sun
The Beach Boys -- God Only Knows
The Beatles -- Here Comes the Sun
The Beatles -- I Want To Hold your Hand
The Killers -- Mr. Brightside
The Temptations -- My Girl
The Turtles -- Happy Together
The Verve -- Bittersweet Symphony
Train -- Marry Me
Van Morrison -- Brown Eyed Girl
Vance Joy -- Riptide
Yes -- Owner of a Lonely Heart

CLASSICAL WEDDING CEREMONY & COCKTAIL HOUR
Processional: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (JS Bach)
Bridal processional: Canon in D (Johann Pachelbel)
Sand ceremony / ring warming / unity candle, etc: Ave Maria (Franz Schubert)
Recessional: La Rejouissance from the Royal Fireworks Music (George Frideric Handel)

Cocktail hour:
Entrance of the Queen of Sheba (George Frideric Handel)
Air in G (JS Bach)
Bourree in F (George Frideric Handel)
Trumpet Tune (Henry Purcell)
Largo from the Four Seasons (Antonio Vivaldi)
Trumpet Voluntary (Jeremiah Clarke)
Rondeau (Jean-Joseph Mouret)
Air from Water Music in F (George Frideric Handel)
Bourree from Water Music in F (George Frideric Handel)
Hornpipe from Water Music in D (George Frideric Handel)

1-HR MULTI-GENRE CONCERT ON THE THEME OF LOVE
Isn't She Lovely (Stevie Wonder)
Canon & Gigue in D Major (Johann Pachelbel)
Waking Up (Myriam Alter)
Por una cabeza (Carlos Gardel)
Da Slockit Light (Tom Anderson) / Inisheer (Thomas Walsh) / Ashokan Farewell (Jay Ungar)
All Of Me (jazz standard)
Meditation from Thaïs (Jules Massenet)
Fractions of Mast (Dani Hawkins) / Reign of Love (Keith Murphy) / Whiskey Business (Tom Krumm)
All of My Love (Led Zeppelin)
Georgia On My Mind (Ray Charles)
An Bradán Feasa (Nathan Bishop) / Slängpolska efter Juringius (Trad. Swedish)

CONTRADANCE
Reels:
Old Joe / Kitchen Girl
Maxime LeBlanc / Fleur de Mandragore
Curvy Road to Corinth / Torn Jacket
Galway Rambler / Bees Wax Sheep Skin
Banshee / Coalminer
Brenda Stubbert’s / The High Drive
Mountain Road / Mineral Bluff
La Belle Gaspesie / Brumley Brae
Father Kelly’s / Frank’s Reel

Jigs:
Apples in Winter (Em) /The Wild One (Dm)
Rolling Wave (D) / Indian Point (Em)
Out on the Ocean (G) (P1) / Out on the Road (P2) (D)
Road to Lisdoonvarna / Dark Girl in Blue / Star above the Garter
Maison de Glace / Gold Ring

Waltzes:
Le Voyage de la Diabline (Trip to Provence)
Call of the West
Haapavesi
Westphalia Waltz
Midnight on the Water

Influences and inspiration

Time for Three, 2 Cellos, The Fretless, Turtle Island String Quartet, Vitamin String Quartet, Bridgerton, Black Violin