Question 1

How much does it cost to hire a cellist for a private party in Cape Town?

Accepted Answer

Packages start at R4,500. Beyond that there's no fixed menu: it depends on how long you want me playing, how many sets you need, and where you are. Tell me about the evening on WhatsApp and I'll come back with a real number.

Question 2

Will live cello actually work in my home, or do I need a proper venue?

Accepted Answer

Your home is honestly where the cello sounds best: a living room, a garden, the head of a dinner table. All I need is a chair and a bit of floor. Up to around a hundred guests I bring my own speaker; past that you'd want a venue PA, which I'll plug into.

Question 3

Will my guests still be able to talk over the music?

Accepted Answer

Completely, that's the whole design of it. Through arrivals and dinner I play at a level that lifts the room rather than shouting over it, so people can still hear each other across a table. Then, if the night wants it, the energy comes up later.

Question 4

How long do you play for, and do you take breaks?

Accepted Answer

Each session runs about an hour, and depending on the package I'll do a few of them across the evening: around speeches, toasts, whatever the night is built on. On a continuous evening I take a five to ten minute break, and pre-recorded cello keeps the room warm while I'm off. The atmosphere never just drops.

Question 5

Can you play modern songs, or is it strictly classical?

Accepted Answer

Both, and usually both in one night. Pop, jazz, film scores, the classical repertoire: about 95% of what people send me works on cello, and if a song matters to you I can normally have it learned and arranged in a day or two. The ones I'll turn down are heavily percussive, techno, or piano-driven tracks, where there's no melody for the cello to sing.

Question 6

What happens if there's load shedding?

Accepted Answer

For an evening at home or anything of that size, load shedding has zero impact: the cello is acoustic and needs no electricity to fill a room. It only becomes a question at larger venues running a PA and a sound desk, where no power means no amplification. At a house party, it genuinely doesn't matter.

Question 7

Do you travel outside Cape Town?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Anything within 30km of the city is included in the price. Further out, I add the standard AA fuel rate for the driving distance: the industry rate, nothing dreamed up for the invoice. Beyond 100km or outside the Western Cape, let's have a proper conversation about it first.

Question 8

How far ahead do I need to book?

Accepted Answer

About a week's notice is enough for me to take a booking. If you want custom arrangements or something meticulously planned around the evening, a month gives me space to do it justice. The short version: if you've got a date, send it and find out.

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