Rachel Hofmann is an engaging performer and educator in Rockford and the surrounding areas. She has been a violinist with the Rockford Symphony for the past 15 years and is also a member of the Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra.

Rachel has her Bachelors Degree in Performance from Lawrence University’s Music Conservatory in Appleton Wisconsin, where she studied with Anton Miller and Stephane Tran Ngoc.

She is also certified in Suzuki Violin. She has taught for numerous string programs and music schools, including Smiling String in Chicago, IL, Allegro School of Music in Grand Rapids, MI, and the Rockford Music Academy, in Rockford, IL.

Rachel has participated in multiple music festivals including Interlochen Advanced String Quartet Institute, Weathersfield Music Festival in Castleton, Vermont, and the New York String Quartet Institute at New York University. She has studied with a plethora of inspirational teachers such as Sibbi Bernhardsson, The Pacifica Quartet, and Roland and Almita Vamos.

She has over 20 years of experience playing music for weddings and events. She also enjoys playing on the worship team at Maywood Free Church in Rockford.

Rachel enjoys spending time with her husband Steve and their four children.

Aaron Wong is an energetic performer, music educator and ​worship pastor in the Rockford, IL area. He graduated from ​Moody Bible Institute with a Bachelors of Music in 2010 where he ​studied classical guitar with Norman Ruiz.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Aaron began playing acoustic ​guitar at age 14 and studied with Kent Fung during secondary ​school. Two years later, he began studying electric guitar with ​Paul Lui and drums with Simon Tsui. He also studied choral ​conducting with Xiang Tang Hong and Gerald Edmonds. In the ​summer of 2009, Aaron studied guitar with Armin Egger in Vienna, ​Austria. Apart from his focus on guitar, Aaron also studied piano ​with Gary Rownd and piano tuning with Tim Dietlin.

He has given solo guitar concerts in England and Scotland, as well ​as participated in multiple Moody Men's Collegiate Choir tours ​throughout North America, Canada, and the United Kingdom from ​2005-2009,

Early in his teenage years, Aaron was the lead guitarist and singer ​in the rock band "The Buddies." He composed a theme song for ​the "Teen AIDS" organization in Hong Kong in 2000 for their Aids ​awareness program, for which they were awarded an honor prize. ​In the same year, Aaron worked with the Christian magazine "U+" ​to promote original song writing.

Currently, Aaron is a Professor of Music at Moody Bible Institu​te. Aaron and his wife Abbey have four children. He is also th​e owner of Aaron Wong Studio, developing many young local musicia​ns in ​the area.

Pricing

Wedding Ceremony

$600

Reception Music

$200/Hour

Parties/Special Occasions

$200/Hour

Customized Package

Contact us

Planning/Consultation

A 45-min planning / consultation session over phone call or Zoom meeting is included. For each additional 30-min planning /

consultation session, a $30 fee will be applied.

Wedding Rehearsal

We understand it is important to time the processional music perfectly for the bride’s walk down the aisle. If schedule allows, we will come to your wedding rehearsal free of charge so that we can time the processional music perfectly. You will never have to worry about the awkward stare when the bride is up front and the music is not done.

Special Song Request

Let us know what you have in mind. We will learn your favorite songs and play them beautifully for you!

Travel Fee

For venues over 30 miles from Rockford, IL, a travel fee of $0.60 per mile will be applied. The starting point for calculating the milage is CherryVale Mall, located at 7200 Harrison Ave, Rockford, IL 61112.

Arrival and Performance

Ivy String Duo arrives at least 45 minutes before the scheduled time to play. For wedding receptions, the “one hour” time begins when Ivy String Duo begins playing. For 2 hours of service or more,

the musicians take a 10 minute break for every hour of performance.

Contract and Deposit

To permanently reserve the date and time with Ivy String Duo, a 50% non-refundable deposit is paid along with a signed contract.

The remaining balance for services rendered is due 10 days

prior to the event date.

Contact

We appreciate your interest in booking Ivy String Duo.

Please contact us with any questions you may have.

Do I get to select what songs you play?

For a wedding ceremony or funeral service, you absolutely get to pick the music from our Song List. For wedding receptions, parties and funeral visitations/luncheons, you can give us an idea of your general preferences during the complementary planning/consultation session. We will provide the live music that you are looking for!

Do you take special song requests?

Of course! Let us know what you have in mind. We will learn your favorite songs and play them beautifully for you!

When do you arrive?

We arrive at least 45 minutes before the scheduled time to play. For wedding receptions, the “one hour” time begins when Ivy String Duo begins playing. For 2 hours of music or more, the musicians take a 10 minute break for every hour of performance.

Can I communicate with you during my planning process?

Of course! A 45-min planning/consultation session over phone call or Zoom meeting is included in our services. For each additional 30-min planning/consultation session, a $30 fee will be applied.

How do I reserve Ivy String Duo?

Simply email us at booking@ivystringduo.com. We will send you a booking form to fill out. Once we received your Booking Form, we will get back to you within 5 business days to discuss our availability and learn some basic information about your event.

A contract will then be sent to you for review. Once the contract is signed and a 50% non-refundable deposit is paid, you will have successfully reserved Ivy String Duo to play for your event.

Do you require down payment?

Yes. A 50% non-refundable deposit is paid along with a signed contract. The remaining balance for services rendered is due 10 days prior to the event date.

Thank you for your interest in booking Ivy String Duo!

Simply email us at booking@ivystringduo.com. We will send you a booking form to fill out. Once we received your booking form, we will get back to you within 5 business days to discuss our availability and learn some basic information about your event.

We will also contact you to learn some basic information about your event. A contract will be sent to you for review. Once the contract is signed and a 50% non-refundable deposit is paid, you will have successfully reserved Ivy String Duo to play for your event. The remaining balance for services rendered is due 10 days prior to the event date.

We look forward to providing the perfect live music for you!

***Please keep in mind that filling out the Booking Form does not automatically guarantee our service.

***Ivy String Duo reserves the right to accept or decline any booking inquiries.