...violins, cello, guitar, piano, harp & more
Southeastern United States
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April Dean McConnell
OWNER
AWARD WINNER (7X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Deans' Duets & Quartets provides customized music for your wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, or reception.
We are classically trained professional wedding and event musicians who specialize in popular covers of modern music, as well as traditional music. We offer all the classical favorites, but also offer pop covers, rock songs, Broadway tunes, Sinatra classics, fiddle, bagpipe, and more! We also want your day to be completely customized to you, so we love to learn new songs as well. We perform for weddings and special events in North and South Carolina, and the surrounding states. We are passionate about bringing your music vision to life!
Options include:
violin solo
piano solo
cello solo
guitar solo
harp solo
violin duets
violin/piano
violin/guitar
violin/cello
violin/harp
string trio
string quartet
and more!
Visit our website to see our services and for more info about us... We can't wait to hear from you!
Woman-owned Business
Details
Instruments
Bagpipes
Cello
Fiddle
Guitar
Harp
Keyboard
Piano
Trumpet
Viola
Violin
Vocals
Music Genres
Celtic
Classical
Country
Dance
Folk
Pop
Rock
Music Services
Live Music
Wedding Activities
Rehearsals & Parties
Rehearsal Dinner
Wedding
Ceremony
Cocktail Hour
Reception
Rehearsal Dinner
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Meet the team
April Dean McConnell
Owner
April Dean McConnell began playing the violin at the age of three and piano at the age of nine. She holds a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University in violin performance and is also a pianist.
While at Wake Forest, April was concertmaster of the university symphony and has also performed with the Western Piedmont Symphony, Salisbury Symphony, and Winston-Salem Symphony. April recently completed her master's degree at Appalachian State University. She is also a violin and piano instructor.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.0146 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Dean's Duets is consistently praised for beautiful, elegant live music at ceremonies and cocktail hours, offering a versatile repertoire and custom arrangements to match any style. Reviewers highlight professional, punctual musicians and seamless execution that elevated their events. Communication and responsiveness during planning were outstanding, making them highly recommended.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
Bailey H
5.0
1/16/2026
I can’t say enough great things about Deans’ Duet. Our entire family is very musical, and my daughter plays an instrument, piano, guitar, and has been a soloist and member of m...
any choral and acappella groups. So we knew choosing the music would be an integral part of the wedding planning. I was worried about how we would get the right music outside on top of a mountain in the fall, but Deans’ Duet was the perfect choice for helping make my daughter’s dream wedding come true. Even though we went with the classic string quartet, having so many instrument group options was so nice when deciding. I never thought string versions of rock songs could sound so amazing but their expansive repertoire allowed us to incorporate all the music styles important to my daughter and our family. From the tv/movie theme prelude to the hard rock entrance and exit to the classical/hymn cocktail hour, these talented musicians helped make this day just as we all envisioned, as well as elegant and special for everyone there. They were prompt, courteous, and helpful in all communication and I really enjoyed working with them!
Amanda C
5.0
1/05/2026
Deans' Duets handled the ceremony music, including violinist, for our wedding last month and everything was perfect!! They made sure the details were confirmed prior to our big da...
y and executed everything seamlessly. The violinist added such a special touch. We could not be happier!
Any questions?
Emily H
5.0
11/21/2025
April at Deans Duets was the most communicative vendor and was very helpful from start to finish helping me curate our playlist. She was always willing to check on a song for me an...
d make suggestions. The musicians were also great and made the vibes great!
Emily H
5.0
11/11/2025
April is SO sweet and I could have sat there listening to the string quartet play all night. I got an email about once a month from the time I booked them a year in advance, just ...
to see if I needed anything! They really care about your experience. April helped organize a surprise for my husband (playing the Champions' League theme when he walked up) literally 2 days before the wedding and he was absolutely thrilled. The string quartet was so talented, so fun, and they were amazing to work with. We HIGHLY recommend Deans' Duets. Our cocktail hour music sounded like we were in an episode of Bridgerton! It was just incredible.
Tiffany O
5.0
11/11/2025
Deans’ Duets was amazing for my daughter’s wedding ceremony and also the cocktail hour of her reception. They flawlessly and beautifully played all parts of the ceremony, processio...
nal, bride’s walk, recessional etc and then effortlessly transitioned to the reception location where they again were amazing. My (now) son-in-law requested a harp and it was wonderful to the already skilled musicians, I would wirhout a doubt recommend them for your special event.
Jocelyn T
5.0
11/10/2025
From my inquiry, Deans' Duets was so wonderful to work with! Their quick communication and professionalism was unmatched. We booked a solo violinist for our wedding ceremony and he...
was amazing! They also helped curate the perfect list of music for before, during and after our ceremony. You won't regret booking them for any of your needs!
Rebecca B
5.0
11/04/2025
April and her team made our experience amazing. Planning the song selections was so fun and we were able to incorporate a custom arrangement for me to walk down the aisle. It was s...
tunning! Couldn’t recommend them more :)
Millie P
5.0
10/09/2025
Deans Duet was amazing at my wedding! They arrived early, set up so quickly, and were ready to go with the prelude music. Everything was perfect! They had the timing down well, too...
. And the planning process leading up to the day of was very straightforward. They were very easy to work with. Highly recommend!
Grace C
5.0
9/25/2025
As a violin player of 15 years, I was a very picky client, but Dean’s Duets absolutely knocked it out of the park! We hired a string quartet and requested a custom arrangement. The...
y worked with me to tweak little tiny details of the arrangement, and it turned out perfectly on the day. The musicians showed up early and were highly professional. They sounded wonderful!
Randi C
5.0
9/24/2025
I could not recommend Deans' Duets enough!! They were outstanding for our wedding reception. We hired a trio of musicians and they were just incredible. The communication was top-n...
otch and I would hire them again in a heartbeat!
Sierra V
5.0
9/09/2025
Deans’ Duets was a huge hit! We contracted with DD for violinists to play classical music during the Social Hour before the wedding reception. Although my daughter requested the vi...
olinists, this was my favorite interaction with a vendor. April responded in a timely manner. She quoted a reasonable hourly rate and provided the contract shortly thereafter. The solo violinist was amazing, guests commented on his beautiful performance. If I’m ever hosting an event in Charlotte, I will hire April and her team again. If
A S
5.0
9/09/2025
April was fabulous in guiding the music selection to create the setting for the various sections of the ceremony. Website offers music samples and variety of instrument combinatio...
ns. Beautiful music and execution. I will used them again for our next family wedding or elegant event.
Celebrity S
5.0
9/02/2025
We just got married this last weekend and had their string trio perform at our ceremony.
I will never forget the look on the wedding party's faces when we opened the doors to the...
building and they heard their processional song was being played LIVE! "It's like I was in a movie!" was the comment we got over and over.
They were able to learn and play very unique songs that we requested and absolutely killed them. Everything was perfect. I would recommend them to any future brides and grooms!
Kristen L
5.0
7/16/2025
The communication was excellent and our 2 violinist played the most beautiful music for our daughter's wedding. They were amazing!
Lori P
5.0
7/15/2025
April was amazing to work with throughout the entire wedding ceremony planning process, and this was indeed the easiest part of my wedding planning because her & her team make it s...
o easy! You can feel April's passion for music and ensuring every detail is perfect and that all of your expectations are met or exceeded. We chose a solo violinist for our ceremony at Pretty Place Chapel. Hannah is very talented and played our song list beautifully. Many guests commented on how that added such elegance to the venue & ceremony. We couldn't be happier with our decision and highly recommend Dean's Duets for any event!
William K
5.0
7/07/2025
We are absolutely blown away by the live music that Dean and Duets accompanied for our wedding. Their performance added such an elegant and magical touch to the entire day. Every n...
ote was beautiful, emotional, and perfectly timed to what our vision/requests were from the ceremony to cocktail hour. Our guests are still raving about it! Truly unforgettable and a highlight to our celebration!!
Emily B
5.0
6/24/2025
Working with April was amazing! From the very beginning, she was so helpful and would thoughtfully check in on us throughout the planning process.
We were able to curate the perf...
ect ambiance for guests with a bagpiper as guests arrived and through the ceremony with a cellist and violinist. Everything was amazing!
DeAndra "Dee" W
5.0
6/07/2025
We recently got married and couldn’t be happier with our experience working with Deans' Duets! April was amazing throughout the whole process—super responsive, kind, and helped us ...
choose the perfect solo violinist for our day. They had such a great list of songs to pick from, which made planning so easy.
On the big day, Katie played at our ceremony and was everything we hoped for—professional, incredibly talented, and brought such a beautiful energy to the moment.
If you’re thinking about live music for your wedding, Dean’s Duet is 100% the way to go!
Hannah L
5.0
5/20/2025
Dean's Duets made my day so special. If you are considering whether or not to have Dean's Duets be a part of your special day or event; DO IT!! You will not be disappointed.
We ha...
d a pianist and violinist perform for the ceremony, and they were absolutely amazing. Truly, they exceeded my expectations. They are so talented, and it felt like a dream hearing them play. I couldn't stop crying when I first heard them start playing! The guests and bridal party raved about the music and how special it was for them to be there.
Dean's Duet's as a whole were so easy to work with. They helped plan every detail of the ceremony with us. They were so attentive and had such strong attention to detail, and it helped me feel at ease. They are trustworthy and know exactly what they were doing! They were so kind and helpful throughout the process.
I recommend them to everyone I know now for weddings and any event they could be a part of!! I couldn't be more grateful for them for being a part of my special day! :)
Hannah S
5.0
5/19/2025
We could not be more thrilled with the string quartet that played at our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour! From the very beginning, the entire team was an absolute dream to work ...
with—professional, kind, responsive, and genuinely passionate about making our day special.
What truly stood out was how well they listened to us. They took the time to understand our vision, and we felt completely heard throughout the planning process. April, in particular, went above and beyond—not only did she ensure every detail was in place, but she also made several thoughtful recommendations that elevated the entire experience. Her musical insight and personal touch brought everything together in a way that truly made our wedding perfect.
The music was breathtaking—elegant, emotional, and flawlessly executed. It created the exact atmosphere we had hoped for and added a magical layer of beauty to both the ceremony and cocktail hour. We had so many guests comment on how incredible the quartet was!
We wholeheartedly recommend this talented group to any couple looking to add a special, unforgettable touch to their wedding. They exceeded every expectation and helped turn our dream into reality.
Lindsey T
5.0
5/13/2025
Cannot say enough about how amazing Dean’s Duets was for our wedding day!! April was great throughout the planning process. The music was beautiful and the musicians were super pr...
ofessional. Highly recommend Dean’s Duets for any event!
Leslie M
5.0
4/13/2025
We just had our wedding a couple of weeks ago, and we are so thrilled to have booked Dean's Duets. They gave us the Bridgerton style I was looking for, and even other guests compli...
mented how "great they were"! Also, I was pleased they were easy to work with when curating my own play list. If you want a balance between fun and sophistication, I highly recommend.
Clinton
5.0
3/29/2025
We had a wonderful experience with Deans' Duets for our wedding! They were super professional throughout the entire planning process: always quick to respond to our emails, proacti...
ve in sending out music planning forms, and excited to learn a new song we asked for. We had a string quartet for 90 mins for cocktail hour + first dance, and it really created the loveliest tone and atmosphere to start our wedding reception. I had requested Bridgerton vibes, and they definitely delivered! Multiple guests were telling us how much they enjoyed listening to try and identify all the different songs as they played. I’m so glad I got videography, because I feel like I wanted to just sit down and listen to it all like a concert! We got a custom song for our first dance, which we were quite hesitant about doing at all, but I am so glad we did. Highly recommend working with Deans' Duets!!
Eli R
5.0
1/28/2025
We booked a violin/cello/guitar trio for our pre-ceremony and ceremony music. April was great to work with for music selection and helped us create some custom mashups to really pe...
rsonalize the ceremony!
Lydia B
5.0
1/23/2025
Dean's Duets was the perfect fit for our wedding day! They were so wonderful throughout the whole process. They were super communicative leading up to the event. I still have guest...
s talking about how beautiful the music was during ceremony. I was told it gave Bridgerton vibes. For anybody looking for live music for their wedding that is elegant and personalized, Dean's Duet is a great choice!
Andrea G
5.0
1/07/2025
Dean's Duets is the perfect choice when you need beautiful duet or quartets for your ceremony, cocktail hour, and more. We loved being able to walk down the aisle to a curated lis...
t of songs played beautifully by our harp and violin duet. We would highly recommend them for all events!
Emily A
5.0
10/23/2024
We were connected to Deans’ Duets through our DJ, and we couldn’t be happier! Drew was amazing, and our guests raved about the music. Absolutely recommend!
Grace T
5.0
10/15/2024
Dean’s Duets were absolutely fantastic. They made the adjustment to come to a different city when our wedding got cancelled by disaster in Western NC. I got a violin and cello duet...
and they played everything that I wanted and it sounded so magical. They had a huge array of songs to choose from and they all worked so wonderfully. They were even able to customize the song I wanted to walk down the aisle too. Speaking with April via e-mail was so easy, she responded right away and always had answers to any questions that I had. They were incredibly flexible and easy to work with. Highly recommend!!
Savanna L
5.0
9/07/2024
I loved the special touch of having a violinist play for the ceremony and cocktail hour. She did a wonderful job and everyone I corresponded with was helpful and even helped me inc...
orporate an unusual song that I wanted for the ceremony. Highly recommend!
Annie B
5.0
8/27/2024
We hired deans duets strong quartet to play music at our wedding during the ceremony and cocktail hour.. they were marvelous.. truly added that elevated detail to our very special ...
day!
Ashton C
5.0
6/20/2024
April at Deans' Duets made the lead up to and execution of our wedding ceremony stress-free and flawless. Their expertise and wide-range of music was top-notch and we're so happy t...
o have had them as a part of our big day!
Miranda B
5.0
6/20/2024
We had a wonderful experience with Dean's Duets! April was very energetic and organized and pleasant to work with, and the music was beautiful -- absolutely perfect for our ceremo...
ny!
Ashley S
5.0
6/11/2024
Great experience from start to finish. We hired the guitar/violin duet for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour and it was perfect. Great communication prior to our wedding and t...
he music was beautiful for the event. We got so many compliments on the mix of songs and how great they were.
Carlos E
5.0
5/21/2024
Deans Duets made our son’s wedding extra special. The music was outstanding and the group was professional and of the highest quality. Lisa and Carlos Evans
Lauren G
5.0
4/25/2024
From my initial inquiry to booking to having them perform at my wedding ceremony, Dean's Duets was professional, personable, reliable and hands down amazing! April was always avail...
able to answer my questions and helped me multiple times when I was deciding on booking. She and the whole team at Dean's Duets made this process a seamless one! The music they provided for my wedding ceremony was absolutely beautiful and I would recommend them 10/10 times to anyone looking for music!
Heather C
5.0
4/15/2024
Extraordinary talent and professionalism.
Corey T
5.0
4/12/2024
Amazing music honestly set the vibe of the whole event! April was amazing to work with she was super flexible and helpful. We got so many compliments regarding our Harp player and ...
Violinist. Drew Preston and Evelyn Gagnon are amazing musicians 10/10 would hire again!
Elizabeth I
5.0
1/21/2024
We worked with April from Dean’s Duets, and she truly stood out among our vendors. She was lovely to chat with, offered to help with anything she could, had quick answers to all of...
our questions, and was extremely responsive. They have a large catalog of songs available, and their musicians can learn a song if they don’t already know it—but all of our wishlist songs were already ones they knew! She also was the pianist for us, and did an amazing job. Her music made our ceremony feel so special, our guests loved it. We would recommend their services to anyone, 10/10!
Gissette V
5.0
12/23/2023
Wow, wow, wow! April and Ben were amazing to work with, and to hear. April was quick and on it ever step of the way and Ben played beautifully! He communicated with our DJ upon arr...
iving and they worked great with one another.
Julia M
5.0
12/13/2023
Dean’s Duets played the ceremony and cocktail hour at our December wedding, and they absolutely crushed it! All of our guests commented on how beautiful our ceremony music was, and...
they added such a nice accompaniment to our cocktail hour. April was so helpful and easy to work with — we had a custom song for ceremony, and they did an amazing job! Highly recommend booking them!!!
Meredith C
5.0
12/10/2023
I am so incredibly happy that we were able to have Deans’ Duets perform our ceremony music. April was so amazing to work with and it was so easy to trust that the musicians would c...
ome prepared and perform beautifully! The song selection that they have is amazing and my husband and I were able to each select songs for the ceremony that had special meaning to us. Such a truly special touch and way to elevate your ceremony - I highly recommend Deans’ Duets!
Maddie G
5.0
11/01/2023
Incredible artists; had a string quartet for our ceremony/cocktail hour with all custom arranged songs that are not usually ceremony music (alternative/emo genre)… so impressed and...
made our day even more meaningful. Guests also asked for a on-the-spot godfather theme song request during cocktail hour that they were able to perform without hesitation. Use Deans duets, we are so grateful for them! April is also such a helpful person, quick to respond and always checking in throughout the wedding process!
Sheny M
5.0
10/30/2023
The Dean's Duets were the perfect addition to our wedding day! My husband and I made the right decision. They provided us with great communication and helped us along the way. A li...
ve performance during cocktail hour and our ceremony could not have been more perfect.
Abigail F
5.0
10/26/2023
Deans Duets were amazing to work with. They made my ceremony such a dream and really took it to the next level. I got the two violins and cello trio and it was absolutely amazing!!...
April is such a sweetheart and so easy to work with. I would recommend them over and over!
Alexis P
5.0
10/16/2023
We had the best experience with Dean's Duets. We went with the violin and guitar duo and it was absolutely beautiful. All of our guests loved the music sections they played as well...
. We even requested for them to play a song that was not on their original list and they were more than willing to learn it and played it at our ceremony. Highly recommend!
Lauren S
5.0
10/12/2023
Deans' Duets is absolutely wonderful! They truly have the entire planning process down to a science so it is smooth and stress free. We hired them for ceremony and cocktail hour mu...
sic and could not have been happier. All of our guests raved about them too! We absolutely loved all of our vendors, but they were definitely one of our favorites! Could never recommend them enough!
Tricia W
5.0
9/12/2023
Dean's Duets is first class! Their ensemble provided beautiful music for our daughter's wedding. Each musician performed wonderfully! The music set the tone for the evening and amp...
lified the beauty of the ceremony. We are grateful that they shared their talents with us to make her wedding day as special as it was. They were all pleasant and professional to work with, arrived early, and even started playing early. I HIGHLY recommend Dean's Duet to make your special occasion memorable.
Lindsay W
5.0
8/24/2023
Working with Deans’ Duets & Quartets was incredibly easy and fun! They made the planning process seamless, especially as someone who didn’t know a whole lot about classical music, ...
they knew exactly what I was looking for and were so helpful. They were incredibly responsive during the planning process, always answering any questions I had and even checked in regularly to see how things were going! On the day of the wedding, the music was absolutely beautiful and made the day perfect.
Lisa S
5.0
7/26/2023
What a beautiful sound for our outdoor wedding!! April and her team made it very easy to choose songs/variations for the ceremony and cocktail hour. Highly recommend!!!
Sarah C
5.0
7/12/2023
I knew I wanted live classical music during dinner at our reception. I'm so glad I chose Deans' Duets. Working with April and her team was an extremely easy process. We were able t...
o tailor our music selection to exactly what I had in mind. So many guests complimented the live music and how much it added to the ambiance of our reception. The musicians were timely and professional. I highly recommend Deans' Deuts to any couples looking for live music as a part of their wedding day!
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Deans' Duets & Quartets
April Dean McConnell
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Owner
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