Back in 2007, composer and violist Ion Zanca had a brilliant idea to intertwine his classical background and love for pop music together. Without missing a beat, Zanca called in state-of-the-art performers – Melissa Priller (Violinist), Young Heo (Bass), and Efren Guzman Jr. (Percussionist) to form the world-renowned ensemble, The Dallas String Quartet.
The co-ed group quickly became a notable name within the industry and a “must-have” at any star-studded affair. Their unique combination of drums, guitar, electric and traditional strings creates a matchless, yet mesmerizing modern sound that any A-lister would want blessing their ears.
It was their chilling covers of “Guns N’ Roses,” “Sweet Child of Mine,” and “Sēnorita” by power couple Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello that earned them an invitation to perform for Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Most recently, country music Icon Blake Shelton and pop-princess Gwen Stefani believed in their talents and asked them to showcase their talents at their intimate ranch wedding in Oklahoma.
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“It was an amazing feeling to perform for a small circle of professional musicians. Things that we played a million times, all of a sudden we had to rehearse,” shares the dynamic music group during an exclusive Celeb Secrets interview.
“It was a strange feeling, but this was not the gig that you wanted to mess up at! In the end, we were able to relax when we saw them having fun and how down-to-earth they are. It simply became very natural and fun. Only after we finished did we really realize what had just happened. That moment will stay with us forever!” they add.
Their appearance created quite the buzz, as they were featured in leading publications such as TODAY, E News!, Page Six, and more as the modern quartet that elevated the western wedding. DSQ is keeping the positive momentum going, as they recently released their highly-anticipated cover to “When The Party’s Over” by award-winning artist Billie Eilish.
The romantic and sophisticated arrangement featured guest cellist Marza Wilks and allowed the group to channel their internal emotions. “During last year, we made a point to record upbeat fun music to counteract the waves of bad news we were receiving regarding COVID and everything else happening,” reveals DSQ about their recording process. “We felt this was the right time to slow things down, dig deep, and do an acoustic version of a song that forces us to look a little deeper and be more aware of our feelings. We loved the simplicity and melody of this tune.”
The warm and moving track was arranged by Ben Bram, the co-creator and arranger for the world-famous acapella group, Pentatonix. “Teaming up with the co-creator of Pentatonix, Ben Bram, to arrange the song for strings the same way he would for voice was imperative. If the violin could speak or cry this is how it would sound,” says Ion Zanca of Dallas String Quartet. “There is no better instrument than violin to evoke those feelings of love or belonging and the melody of the song is like a healing cry that helps you move on.”
While you embrace the touching tune – keep your attention on the breakthrough stars, as they are gearing up to collaborate with a highly respected artist. “We’re very excited to announce a collaboration later this year with an internationally recognized artist. It’s going to be quite unique and will push all the boundaries of what you think a string quartet can do,” shares the out-of-the-ordinary music group.
Let us know how you feel about their new music video for “When The Party’s Over” by dropping a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
