Live Music at the National Portrait Gallery
United Strings is the live music and entertainment company trusted to perform at the National Portrait Gallery — from a string quartet on stage to a full DJ-and-live-musician reception. We've played corporate receptions in the Kogod Courtyard, and we bring the music and the production together: string quartets, pop ensembles, jazz, chamber orchestra, DJ, and full AV — all coordinated around your run of show, so a CEO's remarks or an award land cleanly and the room comes right back up.
About Our Performances at the National Portrait Gallery
In March 2026, United Strings performed at a corporate reception at the National Portrait Gallery — a string quartet on stage beneath the Kogod Courtyard's glass canopy, flowing into a livelier set as the evening opened up. It's exactly the kind of event we're built for: we hold the run of show alongside your AV team and emcee, underscoring arrivals and dinner, cutting cleanly for remarks or an award, then bringing the room back up for the reception. Explore our full Washington DC live music & entertainment
Our Ensembles & Services at the National Portrait Gallery
We scale the music to the moment. Our String Quartet (https://www.unitedstrings.us/stringquartet) brings classical elegance to arrivals, dinner, and formal programs; our Pop Quartet (https://www.unitedstrings.us/popquartet) and Pop Quintet (https://www.unitedstrings.us/popquintet) cover Top 40, crossover, and electronic sets to lift a corporate reception; and our Jazz Quartet (https://www.unitedstrings.us/jazzquartet) sets a polished tone for the cocktail hour. For gala-scale rooms like the Kogod Courtyard we expand into a chamber or mini orchestra, and for the after-party, Cyrus Reel's electric cello plays live over a DJ set. We also provide professional DJ & MC services (https://www.unitedstrings.us/djservices) and full AV & production (https://www.unitedstrings.us/rsav) — sound, staging, and lighting — as one team.
The Kogod Courtyard & Event Spaces at the National Portrait Gallery
Part of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, the National Portrait Gallery is a National Historic Landmark — the third-oldest federal building in Washington. Its showpiece is the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, enclosed by a curving glass canopy designed by Foster + Partners and one of the largest event spaces in DC, with room for receptions up to roughly 1,200. The Victorian Great Hall adds a hand-laid encaustic tile floor and a curving double staircase, and the Luce Foundation Center displays more than 3,300 works over a marble sculpture gallery. Across five spaces, the museum hosts corporate events from 50 to 1,500 guests — and United Strings brings the music and production to match.
Corporate Events at the National Portrait Gallery
The Portrait Gallery is one of Washington's premier corporate venues — galas, association and non-profit dinners, product launches, award ceremonies, and receptions in a genuinely memorable setting. United Strings delivers both the entertainment and the production: a string quartet or chamber orchestra for arrivals and dinner, a sound system right-sized for a glass-canopied courtyard, tasteful lighting, and a seamless handoff to DJ and live musicians for the reception. One team, one contract, one point of contact — coordinated with the museum's Special Events office and your other vendors, so your run of show holds from the first note to the last.
Booking Entertainment at National Portrait Gallery
Can United Strings perform at our event at
the National Portrait Gallery?
Do you coordinate with our program — speeches,
awards, a CEO address?
Which ensemble works best in the Kogod Courtyard?
Yes. The museum welcomes approved outside vendors, and we coordinate directly with the Special Events office and your planner around load-in and run of show. We've performed here for a corporate reception, so we know the space and the process.
Yes — this is central to how we run corporate events. The quartet underscores arrivals and dinner, we cut cleanly for remarks or an award, then bring the room back up. We hold the run of show alongside your AV team and emcee so every cue lands on time.
A string quartet on stage reads beautifully under the glass canopy for arrivals and dinner; for an upbeat reception, live musicians plus DJ lift the energy. Many corporate clients do both across a single evening.
What is your full roster of entertainment options?
Does a quartet need amplification there?
String quartet, Pop Quartet and Quintet, jazz, a chamber or mini orchestra, solo electric cello (Cyrus Reel), DJ and MC services, and full AV production — plus artist bookings. One team, one contract, one point of contact.
In a glass-canopied courtyard at reception scale, yes — we bring a right-sized system so both remarks and music land cleanly. For smaller, intimate groupings a quartet can play acoustically. We recommend the right setup for your space and guest count.
Can you provide the AV and production, not just the music?
Yes. We deliver sound, staging, and lighting as one package, coordinated with the museum and your other vendors — a single point of contact rather than stitching teams together.
Can you cover the full event, from reception to after-party?
How far in advance should we book?
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 load-in, one team, one point of contact for the venue.
Popular spring and fall corporate dates go early. We recommend reaching out 6 to 12 months ahead for peak weekends, 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 National Portrait Gallery cost?
The museum sets its own facility fees through its Special Events office, and they vary by space, date, and guest count — confirm current rates with the museum at npg.si.edu. Our music and production are quoted separately.