The Wellington Strings is an award-winning ensemble in Chicago that performs at wedding ceremonies, receptions, and special events.  Our musicians have performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Rembrandt Chamber Players of Chicago, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and have been awarded prizes both nationally and internationally.

The Wellington Strings work with each couple to best match the musical atmosphere they want to create.  If the wedding is in a small garden, we will make the music sound warm and delightful, but if in a cathedral, we will adapt the music to a more grandiose style.  For noisy, large reception venues we offer a quality, 180-watt sound system.  Instrumentations include strings, woodwinds, brass, and singers, and our styles involve all types of classical, modern, and folk music.  Contact us for a free consultation!

Elias Goldstein is a distinguished violinist from an early age. He won the Wisconsin Fiddle State Championship at the age of fourteen, appeared as guest concertmaster with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, won the DePaul Concerto Competition in 2004 and attained first prize in the Leonard Sorkin Memorial Violin Competition. Elias obtained his Masters' Degree in Violin Performance in Chicago at DePaul University while studying with Chicago Violinist Mark Zinger. He is currently an active chamber musician and Chicago violinist with the Advent Chamber Orchestra and performs as a with world-renowned artists, such as Ilya Kaler, Stephen Balderston, and Eteri Andjaparidze.

Dmitri Pogorelov  began studying violin at the age of five in Russia. He appeared with professional orchestras in the United States, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, and Russia and has won numerous international competitions, including Gnessin International Competition (1st prize in 1998), Strad Competition (4th prize in 2003), NSAL Competition (1st prize in 2005). Dmitri's teachers included world-renowned violinists Elmar Oliveira, Sergiu Schwartz, and violinist Ilya Kaler in Chicago.    

http://www.dmitripogorelov.com

Roxana Pavel Goldstein, a Chicago violinist and native of Romania, has won the DePaul Annual Concerto Competition in 2002 and received first and second prizes at the Cita di Stessa International Competition of Italy and first prize at the famous Lyre of Gold Competition in Romania. Roxana appeared with the Concertante di Chicago and the Rembrandt Chamber Musicians, and played in a masterclass by Maxim Vengerov. Her teachers in Chicago included Cyrus Forough and Mark Zinger. She is currently an active Chicago chamber musician and soloist performing with the Advent Chamber Orchestra.

Emanuel Banbegan studying privately at the age of eight. His Chicago violin and viola professors include Desiree Ruhstrat, Julian Arron, Soo Ahn, Emanuel received a scholarship in 2005 from Indianapolis Matinee Musicale and was a finalist with the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra concerto competitions. Currently he freelances as a Chicago violinist and Chicago violist and is pursuing his Masters' Degree in Violin Performance at DePaul University.

Ian Maksin  began playing the cello at the age of six in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has performed as a soloist and in chamber music recitals throughout Russia, Europe, and the Americas, several of them being broadcasted on National Public Radio. He is the winner of the New World Symphony Concerto Competition and the Westmoreland Young Artist Competition. Mr. Maksin has appeared with famous musicians such as Sergiu Schwartz, St. Lawrence String Quartet, Cuarteto Latinoamericano, Miami String Quartet, and has been the principal cellist of the New World Symphony Orchestra while living in Miami. Currently he is an active Chicago-based international freelance cellist and performs worldwide with the Ibis Camerata.   

http://www.maksin.org/

Paul Ghica is a native of Bucharest, Romania. At the age of eight, he began cello lessons with his father and was accepted into the studio of the Romanian cellist Corneliu Radulescu. At fifteen, Paul appeared in a chamber music concert with celebrated pianist Emanuel Ax, and soon afterwards made his solo debut with the Merit School of Music Chamber Orchestra in Chicago. A passionate advocate of new music, he has been featured on WFMT 98.7 and has toured in North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. Mr. Ghica earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance at Roosevelt University, where he is currently obtaining a Master in Music degree. He is also co-principal cellist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and principal cellist of the Lira Chamber Orchestra.

Lilianna Zofia Wosko has been a distinguished classical and jazz cellist from an early age. She received her Masters' Degree in Music Performance at Chicago's College of Performing Arts music school and has performed with the Illinois Philharmonic, Lira Ensemble, Alma de Tango Ensemble, and the Tomorrow Music Orchestra. Lilianna is a regular studio musician recording for Chicago's Ernie Hendrickson and Matt Hoffer, and she released two of her own CDs, 'My Christmas' and 'Edited to Form' with Thomas Faulds. She regularly performs with classical, jazz, new music, and international folk ensembles in Chicago and abroad .