Don Shabkie is a seasoned concert performer, composer, Celtic musician, and teacher, who has played numerous weddings over the last 25 years. Not only does he have a large repertoire of piano and Celtic harp music to offer you, he is very careful to orchestrate cues in the manner you desire, so that the prelude and processional music flow smoothly.
For the prelude music he can give a small concert of Chopin, Mozart, Scarlatti, and orginal works. Or he can improvise on Celtic music or your favorite hymns. This can be done on the piano or the Celtic harp. He can accompany soloists (instrumental or vocal), since he is equally comfortable reading music as he is improvising or playing from memory. Don also plays with Selkie Celtic Band, also represented on this site.
For the processional music, many brides want Don to move to the organ (if one is available), where he can accompany the trumpet soloist for a work such as Jeremiah Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary.
Don has played as soloist with the Carolina Youth Symphony, and given numerous concerts across the area. Also, he is the music director at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Travelers Rest. Since April 2007 he has played four nights per week at the Westin Poinsett Hotel in downtown Greenville. In fact many people who visit this site come to the Westin and listen to him play, so they can get a better idea in making their choice. To find Don's schedule, visit his calendar page, to find out when he will be playing at the Westin Poinsett Hotel. To find out more about Don Shabkie, please visit his website bio page. From there you can hear many examples of his playing, and find out more general information.
Also, read this testimonial from Debbie in Greenville, SC. Don played for her wedding and reception in October 2007.
"From Celtic harp to keyboard to grand piano, Don Shabkie added a gifted dimension to our wedding day. And he made it so easy for me, with his knowledge of musical selections to correspond with the atmosphere we wanted to create. I had a picture in my mind of sacred and beautiful compositions for the ceremony, then elegant and festive at the reception. Don is a professional with his music, as well as managing and executing the planning process. Our guests were enchanted and so were we."
In October, Don played for a wedding in Travelers Rest with Craig King, trumpet, (also of this site.) Read what the bride had to say:
The music at our wedding was amazing! Many of our guests commented that they felt as though they couldn't have heard better music at a concert! Don and Craig are completely professional, but play with such emotion. They made our wedding so memorable with their incredible talent! — Annette in Travlers Rest
On February 14th, Don played a Valentine's Day Party at Rollingreen Village. This review came from the activities director: "Absolutely Wonderful".
All wedding ceremony fees include a consultation in Don's studio located in the North Main Greenville area. At this consultation the wedding families can discuss selections they would like to have at the wedding. Some come prepared with a list of selections they would like to have played at the wedding. Others like for Don to play different music on the piano or Celtic harp in order to get an idea of all the possibilities. At this time there is a discussion on cues, coordination with the wedding director, and other items of interest to everyone. As a result of these meetings, the ceremony music features the music the brides and families want, and all the cues flow seamlessly. And that's not all. Don can record in his studio a practice sound file for any musical selection that plays a key role in the ceremony (such as the music for the wedding party). He then emails this file to the family, so it can be of use at the rehearsal. This is a very popular feature that adds $0.00 to the cost.