String Quartet at The Capitol View at 400, Washington DC
United Strings provides live string quartet music at The Capitol View at 400, the rooftop venue atop the Hall of the States at 444 North Capitol Street NW in Washington, DC. We perform ceremonies, cocktail hours, and receptions at this venue throughout the year, for weddings, corporate events, galas, and private celebrations. The venue permits outside vendors, so couples and planners can book United Strings directly.
Playing a 300-degree rooftop
The Capitol View at 400 offers a roughly 300-degree panorama spanning Union Station, the Library of Congress, the Capitol Dome, and the Washington Monument. The rooftop holds up to 470 guests. Its covered section — more than 2,100 square feet under a retractable awning, with removable clear side panels, heating, and air conditioning — seats 200 for dinner or 300 for a cocktail reception, and a separate lower terrace accommodates up to 300 guests. Stainless steel and glass railings and Ipe decking run throughout.
For live musicians, those surfaces matter: nothing in the room absorbs sound. United Strings plans two seating positions for every event here — acoustic and tight under the closed canopy, lightly amplified and repositioned when the panels come out.
Ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception music
A typical wedding at The Capitol View at 400 runs a ceremony on the upper rooftop, cocktail hour on the lower terrace while the space is reset, then dinner and dancing under the canopy. United Strings covers all three: string quartet, string trio, or duo for the ceremony and dinner, then Cyrus Reel and DJ Bazza — electric cello performed live over a DJ set — for the dance floor. One contract, one load-in, one point of contact for the venue coordinator.
Booking live music at The Capitol View at 400
A typical wedding at The Capitol View at 400 runs a ceremony on the upper rooftop, cocktail hour on the lower terrace while the space is reset, then dinner and dancing under the canopy. United Strings covers all three: string quartet, string trio, or duo for the ceremony and dinner, then Cyrus Reel and DJ Bazza — electric cello performed live over a DJ set — for the dance floor. One contract, one load-in, one point of contact for the venue coordinator.
Booking Entertainment at The Capitol View at 400
Can we hire United Strings if we've already booked the venue?
Does a string quartet need amplification on the rooftop?
How do you handle the flip from ceremony to reception?
Yes. The Capitol View at 400 permits outside vendors and does not require you to use an in-house entertainment list, so you can book us directly regardless of who is catering or coordinating. We work alongside the venue's on-site coordinator on the run sheet.
It depends on the panels. Under the covered section with the clear side panels closed, a quartet carries a 200-guest seated dinner acoustically with nothing added. With the panels open or on the uncovered deck, we bring a small battery-powered system — open air and Capitol Hill wind will otherwise eat the upper strings before the back row hears them.
The venue uses both spaces for exactly this: guests go down to the lower terrace for cocktail hour while the upper rooftop is turned over. We typically split — a duo or trio holds the terrace so the room never goes silent, then the full quartet is set upstairs before the doors reopen.
Can you cover the whole night, not just the ceremony?
What does the venue itself cost?
Yes. The common shape here is quartet for ceremony and dinner, then Cyrus Reel and DJ Bazza for the dance floor — electric cello played live over a DJ set. One contract, one load-in, one point of contact for the venue.
The venue publishes a reception site fee starting around $6,500 off-peak and $9,500 peak, with couples typically spending $12,000–$14,000 all in for the space. That is the venue's own pricing and changes — confirm current rates directly with them. Our music is quoted separately.
What's the weather backup?
There isn't a separate rain room — the plan is built into the rooftop. The awning retracts over 2,100 square feet, the clear side panels zip in, and the covered area has both heating and air conditioning, which is why the venue books year-round. For us it means we plan two seating positions and pick on the day.
Quartet, trio, or duo — which one suits this room?
Can you play the rooftop in winter?
For a full reception on the upper rooftop, the quartet. This is a wide, open space with hard surfaces and no ceiling for much of it, and two instruments get thin fast once you're past about 100 guests. A trio holds a ceremony well. The duo is best on the lower terrace during cocktail hour, where guests are close and standing. If you're doing both spaces, the most common booking here is a quartet upstairs with a duo splitting off to cover the terrace.
Yes, under the canopy. This matters more for strings than most vendors: below roughly 55°F, wooden instruments go out of tune within minutes and are genuinely at risk of cracking, so an uncovered winter ceremony isn't something we'll agree to. But the covered section is heated, and we've played this venue in the cold season without issue. If you're booking December through February, tell us early and we'll build the placement around the heated area.
How far in advance should we book, and what does it cost?
Peak Saturdays here — April through June, September and October — typically go 9 to 12 months out, and we can only hold one quartet per date. Off-peak dates are often available inside 90 days. Pricing depends on ensemble size and how much of the night you want covered; send your date through the form below and we'll come back with a specific number.