Garden Strings is different from other quartets, because we don't "pick
up" different musicians each time we perform. The musicians you hear
on our demos are the same ones who perform for your wedding!
Because we play together so frequently, we have a blended sound and
style that helps create that perfect ambiance for your event!
Of course there are times when one of us has a conflict with an event.
We have a list of substitutes that play with us regularly. Their bios are
coming soon!
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Kerry Borgen, violinist, graduated from California State University Long Beach, where
she received a scholarship to perform with the honors string quartet and chamber ensemble.
She has performed with many chamber and orchestral groups throughout the United States
and abroad, with scholarships from the Congress of Strings, Interlochen Arts Academy and
the National Orchestral Academy in London. Locally Kerry has performed as a soloist with
the Nova Vista Symphony and the Mission Chamber Orchestra. She has played with the
San Jose Symphony, California Symphony and as Concertmaster for the Mission Chamber
Orchestra.
Sharon Wood, violinist, began playing the violin at the age of nine. She received her
Bachelors Degree in music from California State University, Hayward, and furthered her
studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She plays with many local groups,
including the California Symphony and the Sacramento Philharmonic. Sharon enjoys playing
chamber music with the Avalon String Quartet as well as the Garden String Quartet. In
addition to her large home teaching studio, Sharon teaches violin and orchestra at Black
Pine Circle and the Crowden School of Music in Berkeley.
Pauline Metzgar, violist and native of the East Bay, was a music major at UC
Berkeley before accepting a full scholarship to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
She received her Bachelor of Music from the Conservatory and studied viola with Paul
Hersh and Isadore Tinkleman. Pauline has played in numerous professional orchestras
and toured Europe with Leonard Bernstein and Christoph Eshenbach. Pauline frequently
plays with the California Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony and the Napa Valley
Symphony. She has a full studio of violin and viola students and enjoys playing chamber
music with the Garden String Quartet.
Gretchen Egen, cellist, received her Bachelor of Music from the University of Arizona
and her Masters of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with
Gordon Epperson and Bonnie Hampton respectively. She has been soloist with the
Philharmonia Orchestra of Tucson and the Kensington Symphony, and has toured
throughout Europe with the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival Orchestra with many
conductors including Leonard Bernstein and Christoph Eschenbach. Gretchen was the
cellist in the Del Sol String Quartet for three years, playing numerous children?s concerts
and recording a CD, Short Cuts, featuring music from the United States, Cuba, and
Argentina. Gretchen has been principal cellist with Santa Cruz County Symphony, the
Sacramento Philharmonic, and the Sacramento Ballet. She has also played and recorded
with the Women?s Philharmonic of San Francisco. Gretchen currently plays with the
Pacific Piano Trio, the Sacramento Philharmonic, and the California Symphony. As well as
being an active chamber musician and educator in the Bay Area, Gretchen can be seen
playing cello in the movie, Redwood Curtain, available on video.
