January 25, 2025

A Joyful Jewish Wedding Celebration at the Denver Botanic Gardens: Flute and Cello Duo

January 25, 2025/ Christen Stephens

Flute and Cello Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at the Denver Botanic Gardens in Denver, Colorado, Photo by Tombrella Photography

Our flute and cello music set a light and joyful tone for this delightful Jewish wedding celebration at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The mid-September day was warm and sunny with an occasional cool breeze, the perfect weather for an outdoor wedding ceremony! The wedding took place inside the solarium at the Woodland Mosaic Garden, and our music sounded magical as it was naturally amplified by the glass. The bride arranged to have us play for both her ceremony and cocktail hour, and guests heard the sound of our music throughout the entire garden area.

We played a mix of classical music, including a good amount of Bach, for the prelude as guests began to arrive. It was a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, and the Rabbi stood under the chuppah to signal the start of the processional. The chuppah is a canopy that a Jewish couple stands under during their wedding ceremony, and it symbolizes the home that the couple will build together.

The ceremony was a delight because Rabbi Emily Hyatt explained the traditions as they came up during the ceremony, and her joy and enthusiasm made the service so fun to witness. Emily gave the guests a brief tutorial on how to shout “Mazel tov!” after the glass was broken, and they even got to practice a few times. The practice paid off, because they enthusiastically shouted “Mazel tov!” after the groom broke the glass, and the couple walked down the aisle together, accompanied by our duo playing “At Last” by Etta James.

After the fun recessional, we switched to playing a mix of classical and nostalgic contemporary music for the cocktail hour. At the couple’s request, we included a lot of Beatles, Louis Armstrong, and Elvis. When we finished playing, the guests gathered inside the solarium for dinner and the next part of the celebration.

From the Bride:

“Christen Stephens was amazing to work with from start to finish. Christen is very attentive to detailed and organized so all the planning process for our wedding music was easy to follow and clear. Christen worked with us to find another musician to play with her. I was in tears listening to them play our processional song. All the music was absolutely beautiful. My only regret was not booking her for longer because the music was absolutely incredible.” - Esther B., Bride

Selections from the Prelude Music:
Gavotte in G Major (Handel)
Rondeau (Mouret)
Largo from Xerxes (Handel), Traumereri from Kinderscenen, Op. 15 #7
Romanza from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525 (Mozart)

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Here Comes the Sun (Beatles): Bride and Groom
At Last (Etta James): Recessional

Selections from the Cocktail Hour Music:
Anglaise (Bach)
I Will (Beatles)
Allegro from Sonata in F Major, Op. 1 #11 for Flute (Handel)
Siman Tov U'Mazal Tov
Love Me Tender (Elvis)
What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)
Let it Be (Beatles)
Spring from the Four Seasons (Vivaldi)
All You Need is Love (Beatles)
I Want to Hold Your Hand (Beatles)

Wedding Vendors:
Venue: Woodland Mosaic Garden at the Denver Botanic Gardens
Officiant: Rabbi Emily Hyatt
Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music: Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - Flute and Cello Duo
Photographer: Tombrella Photography

Experience the Light and Joyful Music of the Flute and Cello.

Listen to Flute and Cello Music Samples

April 28, 2024

A Romantic Classical Wedding Ceremony at the Westin Riverfront Resort in Avon, Colorado: Flute and String Quartet

April 28, 2024/ Christen Stephens

Flute and String Quartet Wedding Music at the Westin Riverfront Hotel in Avon, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by MKR Photos

It was the last day of September in the beautiful Colorado mountains, and this couple had the most gorgeous day for their wedding ceremony! The setting at the Westin Riverfront Resort perfectly showcased the peak autumn foliage, mountain and river views, and a blue sky as the backdrop. This Kansas couple certainly experienced the best that Colorado had to offer for their wedding day!

Flute and String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at the Westin Riverfront Resort in Avon, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by MKR Photos

Watch Video: “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, Performed Live by our Flute and String Quartet

Our quartet was flute and strings (flute, violin, viola, cello), and I played the flute. The bride requested all classical music, and she and her fiancee chose a custom list of romantic pieces to fit the mood that they wanted. After the ceremony, we played two contemporary songs - “At Last” by Etta James, and “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. This contemporary vibe segued into the celebration to come later that day.

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Air on the G String (Bach): Family
Bridal Chorus (Wagner): Bride
Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mendelssohn): Recessional

Sample Selections from the Prelude and Postlude Music:
Air in F from Water Music (Handel), Salut D’Amour (Elgar), Serenade (Schubert), Liebestraum (Liszt), Panis Angelicus (Franck), Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach)

Wedding Vendors:
Venue: The Westin Riverfront Resort
Ceremony Music: Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - Flute and String Quartet
Photographer: MKR Photos - Thank you for these amazing photos!

Experience the Rich and Luxurious Sounds of the Flute with Strings:

Listen to Flute and String Quartet Music Samples

February 04, 2019

Live Irish Music for St. Patrick's Day!

February 04, 2019/ Christen Stephens

Irish music is one of my favorite styles of music to play on flute, and I love it when St. Patrick’s day comes around each year. We’re available to play live Irish music for your St. Patrick’s Day party or event. From lively gigs and and hornpipes to incredibly beautiful slow airs, we’ll help you celebrate this fun day with music. I offer both solo flute and flute with violin, or add a guitar for a fuller sound. Listen to a few music samples of me playing Irish music on my flute:

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April 17, 2017

Welcome to Inspire Duo "Life Inspired Improv."

April 17, 2017/ Christen Stephens

Inspire Duo is a new duo featuring the music of myself on flute and Craig Woodward on piano. We create purely improvisational music inspired by people, art and life. It was my dream to do free improvisation with other musicians for a very long time, but the opportunity hadn't presented itself until just recently. Several months ago, I was invited to a farewell moving away party for an acquaintance of mine. When I arrived, I found that I didn't know a single person in the room except for the honoree of the party, and she was deep in conversation. I walked up to the first person that I saw and introduced myself. We quickly found out that we are both musicians who love to improvise, and we were both looking for someone to improvise with. That was the unlikely beginning of Inspire Duo.

When Craig and I met for our first rehearsal, we knew that this duo was something special. We instantly clicked musically and magic began to happen. Craig and I both have extensive experience with a wide range of music from classical to jazz and numerous other styles. We found that we could create a unique blend of these styles and add our own flair to make beautiful and wildly creative music.

We began rehearsing regularly and developed a vision for collaborating with local artists in order to introduce a whole new sensory dimension to their works, both through live performances and audio recordings. Each song that we improvise starts with an inspiration - an series of descriptive words, a piece of art, another musical composition, a photo, or anything really. Beyond choosing our inspiration, we don't plan much what we will play in advance. One of us creates an initial musical idea which then takes shape as we continue to play. The music then spins from there as we communicate back and forth, building upon each musical idea and creating new ones. The great beauty of this kind of music is that we aren't stuck to written notes on a page, or even a set of chords such as on a jazz chart. We are free to develop ideas as we play and interact directly with the environment around us using music.

Stay posted for updates on our live concerts. We need your inspiration! We also accept bookings to play for social events. Email me for information on hiring us for your next party or event by clicking on "Inspire Duo" HERE.

Listen to Music Samples Here

April 22, 2015

Announcing New Flute Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music Samples

April 22, 2015/ Christen Stephens

Our flute quartet recently recorded a number of new music samples. You can listen to the the music samples online here: Flute Quartet Music Samples. Our flute quartet consists of a flute, violin, viola, and cello and the tone of the flute wonderfully compliments the sound of the strings to create a full and rich sound. I am very excited about these recordings because after a lot of time and work, I have now completed making recordings of all ten of my music ensembles! Photo courtesy of Kern Photo

October 22, 2014

Solo Flute - Wedding Ceremony Music at Della Terra Mountain Chateau in Estes Park

October 22, 2014/ Christen Stephens

Outdoor autumn wedding ceremonies can be tricky in the Colorado mountains because the weather can be anything from warm and sunny to freezing cold and snowing. This bride hoped for the best with her early October wedding ceremony, but was also ready to brave the worst. It was clear to see why she wanted an outdoor wedding ceremony at Della Terra Chateau in Estes Park. The chateau is beautifully situated in the mountains and gives the feel of majestic isolation that is pure Colorado. The grounds feature garden areas and small ponds and bridges that blend well into the wild Colorado landscape. Wildlife abounded and I saw several elk, wild turkeys, and many birds and chipmunks. Inside, the chateau was built to reflect the classic European charm of years gone by. I had no idea what to expect from the weather as I drove up the fog-shrouded mountains. The forecast was calling for thunderstorms and even snow later in the evening. When I arrived at Della Terra, it was cold and cloudy and I set up under a small musician pavilion to protect my flute from the drizzling rain.

The bride chose solo flute music for her wedding ceremony, and I played elegant music on my flute as the handful of guests began arriving. As the guests arrived, the cold rain began to fall in earnest and umbrellas were quickly supplied to the guests and they wrapped themselves in the warm blankets that had been provided. I chose cheerful spring-like music to give the atmosphere a feeling of warmth, and one of the guests later told me that my music was the perfect balm for the cold, dark weather. The processional began, and just as the bride reached the front, the sun came out and the rain abated just long enough for a beautiful ceremony to take place.

Selected Wedding Prelude Music:
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach), Danza Pastorale (Vivaldi), Spring (Vivaldi), Hornpipe (Purcell), The Swan (Saint Seans), Minuetto (Mozart)

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Wedding Party ~ Trumpet Voluntary
Bride ~ Trumpet Tune
Recessional ~ Bourree from Handel's Water Music
Postlude ~ Hornpipe from Handel's Water Music and Chopin's Waltz, Op. 69 No. 2

Wedding Vendors
Wedding Venue: Della Terra Mountain Chateau
Officiant: Reverend Simone Shepherd
Ceremony Musician: Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - Solo Flute

The view behind the ceremony site

April 16, 2012

New Music Samples for Flute and Harp Duo

April 16, 2012/ Christen Stephens

Recording Session at Swallow Hill in Denver, CO

Thanks to Brian Hunter at the Swallow Hill recording studio in Denver, I have replaced my ten year old homemade flute and harp recordings with new professional ones. On the recordings I am playing on my new solid rose gold and silver Powell flute that I bought last summer. I was accompanied by talented harpist, Mary Keener. Our duo is available to play for your Colorado wedding or event.

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From the Bride:

Experience the Light and Joyful Music of the Flute and Cello.

Watch Video: “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, Performed Live by our Flute and String Quartet

Experience the Rich and Luxurious Sounds of the Flute with Strings: