Pittsburgh Strings is a musician-owned service providing clients with the highest caliber musicians in the Pittsburgh area. Our performers include recent graduates from Duquesne University, Carnegie Mellon, and many other great music schools from around the country.
Our musicians contact the client directly which leads to excellent clarity in communication regarding the details of a live music event. We also pay well above the market rate to our musicians and our performers are among the most sought-after musicians in the Pittsburgh area!
We cover a wide range of genres including classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, as well as accepting and arranging any request a client may like to hear.
Jake played at our wedding ceremony on 9/1/24. Throughout the planning process, he was communicative, professional, and helpful. He was a pleasure to work with and sounded amazing on the day of our ceremony! We received many positive comments from our guests about his part in the ceremony, and he pulled off our three song requests effortlessly. We would highly recommend Jake and Pittsburgh Strings for any event you are planning.
Our quartet just had 3, but the music sounded very nice. We hired them for our daughter's wedding.
I knew that Jacob's performance during my son's rehearsal dinner at Duquesne University's Power Center was going to be special when we had our planning call to discuss music selections. Jacob encouraged me to think about the type of music we might enjoy and offered the names of sites where I could sample potential selections. Nothing was off limits. He was incredibly focused on the plans for his performance together with the ensemble he organized.
Jacob's musical acumen is exceptional and his gracious personality is so inviting. Both during cocktails and dinner, our guests were treated to a wonderful performance to compliment a perfect evening.
Jacob pulled together an excellent string trio to perform at our wedding ceremony, including music while guests were sitting down, a processional, a recessional, and a short performance we snuck in during the ceremony itself. We loved it. Jacob accommodated our musical preferences where we had them (we exited to Earth, Wind & Fire's September) and helped us with the rest of our selections. When one of the trio members had to cancel at the last minute, Jacob quickly found a replacement. We didn't even find out about it until after the ceremony, which we really appreciated given everything else on our minds that day.
Jacob Nathanson performed with “THE Jackson’s” at a charity event and several weddings that my wife and I attended over the last several months. We have seen Jacob perform as a cello soloist with a string Quartet and also with a symphony ( back up for The Jackson’s) . His performance in each case was outstanding and greatly added a festive touch to all of the venues . I highly recommend that you consider Jacob for your next event .
Jake performs Bach with such precision and clarity. He is a top shelf cellist and musician. Jake is versatile, professional, and always delivers a superb performance. Jake plays with richness and depth in tone. His intonation is on point. He has laser focus while also having an awareness of the whole. Jake plays with rhythmic integrity and when playing with others, provides a strong yet flexible anchor and/or undercurrent. What else can I say?
Price Range: $400 for a soloist plus travel
Gig Length: 60 - 180 minutes
Languages: English, Spanish
What to expect:
I am focused on providing clear communication and prompt responses to inquiries leading up to your event!
The performers I hire are among the finest musicians in the Pittsburgh area and will be sure to provide an amazing musical experience at your event.
Jacob is a freelance cellist and pianist in Pittsburgh, PA. He will be pursuing an Artist Diploma at Duquesne University beginning in the fall of 2023.
Current performance engagements include orchestral concerts with Resonance Works Pittsburgh, Butler Symphony, Youngstown Symphony, Greenville Symphony, Westmoreland Symphony, Akron Symphony, and the Erie Philharmonic.
Jacob has performed live music in various combinations of ensembles at hundreds of weddings and other private events in the Pittsburgh region at venues ranging from Heinz Chapel and the Carnegie Museum's Hall of Sculpture to the Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens and Phipps Conservatory.
Jacob began his training with cellist Paula Tuttle from the Pittsburgh Opera as well as David Premo of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, performing with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony for several years before attending music conservatory and the positive experience was vital to his pursuit of a musical career.
He later attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and received a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in cello performance with Melissa Kraut. Jacob has attended numerous classical music festivals and seminars including ENCORE School for Strings, The International Music Academy of Pilsen, Tanglewood Music Institute, The Heifetz International Music Institute, and the New York String Orchestra Seminar.
I need nothing more than a chair for myself and any additional musician who may be joining in.
Athens, OH 
String Quartet
Abigail H. said “Viva la Strings played a duet at our wedding ceremony this past September. The music was absolutely beautiful and exactly what we wanted. We decided a…”
Wexford, PA
Classical Ensemble
50 Verified Bookings Annie P. said “She was amazing! Everything was perfect. Everything was played beautifully. She was an absolute pleasure!”
Cleveland, OH
Classical Duo
118 Verified Bookings Jarred F. said “We had this string trio come to our home for my wife’s 40th birthday, and they were incredible! They showed up right on time, were super professional,…”
Phoenix, AZ
String Quartet
191 Verified Bookings Patricia said “Played very beautifully and was very kind. They were very accommodating of where we were set up, it was all very easy. Thank you again.”
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