Live Music & Entertainment at the Library of Congress
United Strings is the live music and entertainment company trusted to perform at the Library of Congress — the entertainment group featured in the institution's official Live! at the Library Café Concert series and covered by the Library of Congress newsroom. From string quartets and pop ensembles to a full chamber orchestra, DJ services, and complete AV production, we bring both the music and the production to congressional receptions, corporate dinners, and private galas in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building — directly across from the U.S. Capitol.
Our Ensembles & Services at the Library of Congress
Every Library of Congress event is different, so we scale the music to the room. Our String Quartet brings the classical canon to ceremonies and seated dinners; our Pop Quartet — the ensemble that performed our Library of Congress café concert — covers 500+ songs from Bach to Top 40; and our Pop Quintet is the high-energy flagship for large receptions and corporate galas. For a grander sound we expand into a chamber orchestra, and we've performed as a mini orchestra for corporate events. We also provide professional DJ & MC services and full AV & production — sound, staging, and uplighting — available individually or bundled.
The Great Hall & Event Spaces at the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress opens some of the most beautiful rooms in Washington for evening events. The Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building — two stories of marble, mosaic, stained glass, and gold leaf, opened to the public in 1897 — holds up to 1,200 guests for a standing reception and roughly 450 for a seated dinner. Additional event spaces include the Coolidge Auditorium, the Whittall Pavilion, the Montpelier Room with its sweeping Capitol views, Madison Hall, and the Mumford Room. Wherever your event takes place inside the Library, United Strings supplies both the ensemble and the production as a single point of contact, coordinated around the Library's special events run of show.
About Our Performances at the Library of Congress
On August 31, 2023, our Pop Quartet — then performing as Rockville Strings — took the stage for the Library of Congress's official Live! at the Library Café Concert series, playing two 45-minute sets on the Great Hall Mezzanine overlooking the U.S. Capitol. The program moved from the classical canon into original arrangements of modern pop, and the Library of Congress newsroom featured the performance. It is one chapter in more than a decade of performing at Washington's most prestigious venues — the kind of experience that lets us walk into a room like the Great Hall and deliver without a wasted note. Explore our full Washington DC live music & entertainment.
Corporate, Congressional & Private Events at the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is a favored setting for corporate galas, association dinners, diplomatic receptions, and congressional events — occasions where the room sets a high bar and the entertainment has to match it. Our accent is on production: a string quartet or chamber orchestra for the reception and dinner, a sound system right-sized for a two-story marble hall, tasteful uplighting, and a seamless handoff to Cyrus Reel and DJ Bazza for the after-party. Whatever the brief — refined background elegance or a full dance floor — United Strings delivers the music and the production together, so your run of show holds from the first note to the last.
Book United Strings for Your Library of Congress Event
Planning a reception, gala, or dinner at the Library of Congress? Tell us your date, your space, and the shape of your evening, and we'll put together a proposal for the ensemble and production to match — from an intimate string quartet to a full chamber orchestra, with sound, staging, and lighting handled by one team. Share your details below and we'll respond within hours.
Booking Entertainment at The Library of Congress
Can United Strings perform at an event we're hosting
at the Library of Congress?
Does a string quartet need amplification in the Great Hall?
You performed in the Library's Café Concert series — what was that?
Yes. Library events are arranged through the Library's special events office, and we build our music and production around their run of show and load-in schedule. We've performed here as part of the Library's official Café Concert series, so we know the room and the process.
For a large reception in a two-story marble hall, yes — we bring a right-sized sound system so every guest hears cleanly. For smaller, more intimate seating a quartet can play acoustically. We assess the guest count and layout and recommend the right setup.
Our Pop Quartet performed two 45-minute sets for the Library of Congress's official Live! at the Library Café Concert series on the Great Hall Mezzanine, overlooking the U.S. Capitol — classical music alongside original arrangements of modern pop. The Library of Congress newsroom featured the performance.
Can you scale up for a large corporate gala or reception?
Can you provide the AV and production, not just the music?
Yes. We range from an intimate string quartet to a full chamber ensemble — we've performed as a mini orchestra for corporate events. We right-size the ensemble to the room, the guest count, and the tone you're after.
Yes. We deliver sound, staging, and lighting as one package, so you have a single point of contact rather than stitching vendors together. For corporate dinners and receptions, that production is often the difference between a nice evening and a memorable one.
Can you cover the full event, from reception to after-party?
Yes. A common shape is a string quartet for the reception 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.
What kind of music do you play?
How far in advance should we book?
Whatever the room calls for — Mozart, Haydn, and the classical canon; instrumental pop and Top 40; Bridgerton-era arrangements; and DJ and electronic sets. We tailor the program to your brand, your guests, and the occasion.
There are two timelines to plan around: securing your date with the Library's special events office — popular spring and fall dates go early — and locking in our ensemble and production. We recommend reaching out 9 to 12 months ahead for peak weekend dates, though we do our best to accommodate shorter timelines, so reach out even if your event is coming up soon.
What does hosting an event at the Library of Congress cost?
The Library sets its own facility fees through its special events office, and they vary by space, date, and guest count — confirm current rates with the Library at loc.gov/about/host-an-event-at-the-library. Our music and production are quoted separately.