Since 1992, The Hawthorne String Quartet, a Cincinnati based quartet of full time professional musicians, has been providing beautiful music for various special occasions.

Laura Proffit, violinist and founding member of the quartet performs frequently throughout the Cincinnati area. A native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, she received a degree in violin performance from Northern Illinois University where she studied with members of the famed Vermeer String Quartet. Laura is a member of the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, concertmaster and soloist with the Blue Ash-Montgomery Symphony, and has performed with the Cincinnati Pops. Laura has performed with such artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra Jr., and Kenny Rogers, and maintains a teaching studio.

Kristen Dykema, violinist, received degrees in violin performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and Miami University in Oxford. The former assistant concertmaster of the Luxembourg Radio Orchestra has performed as a soloist with many orchestras, including the Dayton Philharmonic. Originally from Chicago, Kristen is currently assistant principal second violinist of the Dayton Philharmonic, and she also has performed with the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops, and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. Kristen teaches privately and is the former chairman of the string department in the Pre-College Division at CCM.

Wendy VanderMolen, violinist, is a native Cincinnatian who earned degrees in viola performance at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She is a member of Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and is principal violist of the Blue Ash-Montgomery Symphony. Wendy has performed with Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Mathis, Sarah Brightman, George Benson, Barry Manilow, and Tony Bennett, to name a few. She especially enjoyed working with the Dance Theatre of Harlem at Cincinnati’s Taft Theatre, and in Sunset Boulevard at the Aronoff Center for the Arts. Wendy is frequently engaged as a strolling violist in Cincinnati restaurants and Hotels, and teaches both violin and viola at her studio in College Hill.

Rob Reichhardt, cellist, is a native of Cincinnati. He received degrees in cello performance from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music. In addition to numerous engagements in Cincinnati, Rob has performed with the Columbus Symphony, the Cleveland Pops, the Dayton Philharmonic, and the Canton Symphony.

Please inquire about any special music you want for your ceremony. The Hawthorne String Quartet maintains an extensive repertoire and prides itself on its varied song selections. From Mozart to Manilow, from Baroque to Broadway, we can provide music suitable for any occasion. Our repertoire, ranging from traditional to non-traditional, includes wedding music (for Jewish, Christian, and inter/non-denominational ceremonies), string quartets, waltzes, polkas, ragtime, and a wide selection of popular and contemporary tunes.