The Vitamin String Quartet • Redefining the Sensibilities of Popular Music

Long before Bridgerton broke the Netflix algorithm Vitamin String Quartet (VSQ) helped establish classical crossover as a genuine artistic force in contemporary music - far removed from the sterile orchestral arrangements of Muzak that would echo throughout department stores in America decades ago.

VSQ began back in 1999 as a series of experimental string quartet projects designed to transform rock & pop songs with classical instruments, which later expanded to include a broad variety of popular music. It was developed and produced by CMH Records, an independent record company based in Los Angeles. The CMH team works with an evolving cast of arrangers, producers, string players, and other creatives on each project.

Their albums feature various genres, including pop and rock, metal, emo, punk, techno, country, and hip-hop, and cover a wide variety of groups such as The Beach Boys, Gorillaz, Oasis, 311, Depeche Mode, Queen, Led Zeppelin, The Offspring, Rush, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Senses Fail, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Bruce Springsteen, Crossfade, Jimi Hendrix, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, System of a Down, The Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Linkin Park, Muse, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Slayer, Kanye West, Adele, Lady Gaga, and Lana Del Rey, among others.

Their discography includes over 400 albums.

Fresh off high-profile placements in Seasons 1 and 2 of the aforementioned Bridgerton Netflix series, VSQ has now reached a mainstream global audience with their classical covers of popular music, and on their current tour have created fresh arrangements of the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift, performing spellbinding and innovative renditions of Swift’s music, alongside familiar hits from Billie Eilish, BTS, Bridgerton, The Weeknd and Daft Punk.

Today Vitamin String Quartet  are one of  the most popular string ensembles in the world with over 2 billion streams and 7 albums charting on both Billboard Classical and Classical Crossover charts; and they will be appearing at Midland Center for the Arts on Saturday, October 26^th at 7:30 PM in a program titled Vitamin String Quartet: The Music of Taylor Swift, Bridgerton & Beyond.

Recently The REVIEW had an opportunity sit down with VSQ cellist Derek Stein and the Director of A&R at CMH Label Group, James Curtiss, to discuss the origins of this phenomenon and how they are re-defining our notions about the power of Classical music to touch our hearts and souls.

REVIEW: Over the years many popular musical groups such as The Moody Blues, ELO, and even The Rolling Stones have integrated Classical music into their material, but what do you feel distinguishes the approach that Vitamin String Quartet has developed?

JAMES CURTISS: There’s a couple ways we do things differently.  Lots of the early attempts at crossover Classical music would amplify the string instruments or substitute non-Classical elements. Yes, there would be a string section, but there would also be an electric guitar, so it wasn’t really a straightforward Classical approach. Our approach was to get the sound back to four string musicians playing together with great arrangements and expressive dynamics. Others that took that approach didn’t push the dynamics that hard to give the sound any presence, which is why string renditions for a long time were hit with the term MUZAK.

Our goal was to put on a performance that people could not turn their backs or put their heads down upon. Our intentions were to make something as entertaining as any Rock band without having to fall into the trap of becoming a Rock show with amplified strings, over over-amplification of multiple layers that takes away the whole idea of being an acoustic string quartet.

REVIEW: With projects and recordings that range from Hip-Hop to Heavy Rock and Country artists do you have a lot of different arrangers working on your material?

CURTISS; When we first started doing this we were involved with making studio recordings more than live performances and when we started verging on 12 projects a year we needed more people to hit that goal, so we work with people who do the job best and can arrange almost anything. The husband and wife team of  James & Kathy McMillen do most of our arranging, but myself along with my label partner Leo Flynn also have a pretty heavy hand in it. We all come from different professional backgrounds. I’m more Classical oriented while Jim is more Jazz & Funk, but we all share broad interests in music between us.

REVIEW: Derek, how long have you been playing cello with the VSQ and what do you feel distinguishes them from other classical quartets attempting to crossover into popular music?

DEREK STEIN: I’ve been performing with VSQ for 12 years now this fall, and I’m not sure I would classify us as a Classical string quartet. We’re a string quartet that plays arrangements of Rock and Pop music for the most part. We’re all classically trained so a certain amount of that sensibility we bring to the group because of our training, but when we’re performing these pieces we try to sound like a string quartet playing Rock and Pop tunes rather than trying to put a Classical spin on things.

REVIEW: What’s the most challenging thing for you approaching this type of music?

STEIN: I think it’s helpful to understand what the sound, rhythms, and attitudes of Pop, Rock, and Hip-Hop music are and to be familiar with the original songs that we’re doing arrangements of. Sometimes it’s daunting for me to keep up on that stuff because I don’t listen to that music as often as I should, but do my best to keep on top of stuff and make sure I’m familiar with it.

REVIEW: In terms of your live performances did your exposure from the NETFLIX Bridgerton series augment your touring schedule dramatically because of its success?

CURTISS: Absolutely. For years we were looking to do more with our live shows. Because we started as a studio project, apart from that along with our video content we might do a couple shows a quarter, but the demand that happened after Bridgerton hit big created a situation where we were able to start booking multi-date tours. We also released the Taylor Swift compilation in the middle of a tour along with the Hits of 2024 covering contemporary successful artists, which has also generated even greater demand and success.

REVIEW: With over 400 albums released over the past 25-years which ones have been the most successful?

CURTISS:  It’s interesting because success vacillates based upon the era. For instance, our most successful album is probably a tribute to TOOL we did awhile back in 2005, along with the current success with something like our sales of Taylor Swift vinyl copies, along with the streaming.

REVIEW: Do you vary your set lists much from show-to-show while you’re on tour?

STEIN: I would say the set-list is 75% standard in terms of material we perform at each show because it always gets a strong reaction, but we do take into account what’s happening currently and will add new titles to keep things fresh; but overall the set-list has remained pretty consistent over the past 4 to 5 years.

CURTISS: We perform a song from every decade from the 1970s on up in every set list and it may include a song that isn’t instantly familiar, but once the audience hears it they recognize it because its’ so embedded into the culture that they aren’t far-reaching to the audience.  75 percent of the songs in this current tour consist of material from Bridgerton and Taylor Swift that are being sold in the title, but it’s the ‘and more’ that we want the audience to come for.  We want them to know the hits but want them to be surprised by the ‘and more’.

REVIEW:  Do both of you have memorable performances that stand out in your mind as career highlights?

CURTISS:  For me it’s when we were asked to play the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium. I’m from L.A. and grew up with the Dodgers, so to walk into that stadium and out to the field to perform in front of a packed audience was a huge moment for me.

STEIN: I’m not sure what city it was in Ohio, but earlier this year we played at a venue and a couple of big philanthropists for the Arts found out we were coming and ended up purchasing all 1,700 tickets for their friends, which was incredible.  Apparently they were our number one fan. It was a sold out crowd and really memorable experience!

Vitamin String Quartet: The Music of Taylor Swift, Bridgerton & Beyond takes place at Midland Center for the Arts, 1801 W. St. Andrews, on Saturday, October 26^th at 7:30 PM.  Tickets start at only $17.50 plus processing fees and can be obtained by visiting MidlandCenter.org.