Christopher Kilday

Our wedding was a very intimate affair of just 30 people, and hired Christopher to play during the reception. He really is an amazing artist with a great repertoire. Ahead of our wedding we did not specifically pick our music list, but gave him a list of composers and performers we like, and allowed him to select the music. He did an amazing job selecting music that fit our taste!
The only problem was that I kept finding myself wanting to stand around and listen to him play instead of mingling with my guest! :)
He is punctual, professional and generally a pleasure to work with.
Thank you, Christopher, for making our special day even more memorable!

Chris was great. He accompanied me on guitar and sang for my niece’s wedding. We only had to play a couple of tunes, but I had flown in from K.C., and we were able to put everything together in one short rehearsal — it only took us 20 minutes to get everything down. Chris is as personable as he is professional, and sounded great at the wedding. He was puctual, accommodating, flexible, and reliable, and I wouldn’t hesitate to hire him again.

I used to take Guitar lessons from Chris. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed and learn from him. He is a very easy going teacher, even with a untalented student like me :). After moving from the City, I had to stop my lessons because time, and commute. Thank you Chris for everything not only myself but all my family and friends are enjoying my guitar playing and singing!

Great musician! We had a particular song in mind for our wedding, something new that has not been done at many weddings. We spoke with Christopher several times before the wedding, refining the idea each time, and he was able to orchestrate the song and pull it off without a hitch. He took notes well and implemented our vision. We were very happy with the music.
As other reviewers have mentioned, Christopher’s professionalism could use some work. In our calls, he tended to jump to conclusions about what we wanted — we often had to reign him back and make sure he was on the same page as us. We also had a hard time getting him on the phone the week of the wedding — he’s a chill guy, and I don’t know that he recognized the stress that was being caused by his unavailability with only days to go before the event.
All of that said, his guitar music sounded great, he showed up early to practice, and everything worked out nicely! Definitely go ahead and hire Christopher to do classic wedding guitar — if you’re willing to manage the process and push for what you want, you’ll get a really nice sound and a beautiful ceremony.

We had a mixed experience with Chris Kilday. He is very nice and was helpful with suggestions and answering questions throughout the process of selecting the music for our wedding ceremony. He has plenty of audio and video files available for your listening and viewing, and is also very open to learning new music if you request it (we requested «Cavatina» and he was more than happy to learn it).
As for the actual wedding day, there were some things that we weren’t particularly thrilled with. Christopher arrived later than he was supposed to and this caused stress for us. The fact that he had no time to prepare or warm up upon arrival probably also contributed to his shaky performance of the first song. Cavatina is a difficult song, but it wasn’t played very cleanly and there were a number of mistakes. The transition to the next song for the bridal entrance was also abrupt and awkward. That being said, the rest of the songs (the bridal march and recessional, as well as post-​ceremony music) were performed very well. So it was a mixed bag for us.

VERY DISAPPOINTED
One of the reasons that you hire a professional is so that you get professional service from beginning to end. I can’t speak for the end part, as there won’t be one. I found Christopher Kilday through GigMasters. Within 20 minutes of requesting a quote and availability, Christopher was CALLING ME. He called me twice within 5 minutes and left 2 identical messages. He then sent me 2 emails, one through GigMasters and one through his personal website. Both said the same thing. Yes, he was available to perform at my wedding in October. So, I have 2 phone messages and 2 emails saying that he would love to perform for us and was available. My fiancé and I discussed at great length, read glowing reviews and listened to more samples of his music and decided that he was the one. I called him the very next morning. He and I spent about 15 minutes on the phone, discussing playlists, the music he would play when I walked down the isle etc. I loved his suggestions and the conversation was very positive. When I was ready to book, he said I could book through GigMasters or through him privately. I said I felt great going through GigMasters and then, all of the sudden,” oops, I’m not actually available that day.” WHAT??? Why did you just waste my time? I was seriously stunned. Two voicemail messages and two emails saying that he was available and one conversation 12 hours later that started with him being available and ended with him not? Ummm, ok, thanks. I thought that you were supposed to check your calendar BEFORE you tell someone that you are available. Unprofessional, thats all I can say. He then suggested one of his friends play for us. Well, thanks for that too. Insulting. Christopher Kilday is talented, but his organizational skills are lacking. I’m still in disbelief that this happened. This is not what any bride wants to deal with when trying to plan a wedding.

Christopher Kilday is a world-​class guitarist possessing an uncanny ability to cut straight to a song’s emotional core. He is a talented musician, incredibly caring and flexible vendor, and one hell of a nice guy!
I can not recommend Christopher highly enough, and can confirm from personal event experience that this gifted and gloriously versatile guitarist will add that «special something» that you’ve been hoping to showcase at your event.

Christopher is the best! (This review is for him as a performer. I know he also does lessons.) He has played a number of my corporate/​nonprofit events since 2008. He is a true artist and professional, has a really wide range of musical styles– Spanish, classical, jazz, Cuban, etc. and guests always love his music.
He provides great background atmosphere for any event (I know he also does a ton of weddings) but he can also put on a great performance when he is more of the focal point, too. He is a graduate of SF Conservatory of Music, and has done a bunch of other apprenticeships with noted musical mentors. He knows what he’s doing!
But really, the best part is, he’s dependable, reasonably priced, with an engaging personality. With Christopher, you’re getting a true artist, but also a reliable vendor who is not going to flake on you.

Chris played guitar and was singing at my wedding. His performance was outstanding, extremely memorable, and moving! He provided a perfect mood and atmosphere for the wedding. I wholeheartedly recommend Chris as an exceptional performer!