Disney Songs for String Ensemble
Cinematic. Expressive. Timeless.
Disney music translates beautifully to strings because it is written with melody, pacing, and emotional clarity at its core. When performed live by string ensemble, these pieces feel lyrical and familiar without feeling themed.
Repertoire
A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes (Cinderella)
Arabian Nights (Aladdin)
A Whole New World (Aladdin)
Be Our Guest (Beauty and the Beast)
Can You Feel the Love Tonight (The Lion King)
Chim Chim Cher-ee (Mary Poppins)
Circle of Life (The Lion King)
Hallelujah (from Shrek) — Leonard Cohen
How Far I'll Go (Moana)
I See the Light (Tangled)
Kiss the Girl (The Little Mermaid)
Le Festin (Ratatouille – Pixar)
Let It Go (Frozen)
Love Is an Open Door (Frozen)
Married Life (Up – Pixar)
Once Upon a Dream (Sleeping Beauty)
Part of Your World (The Little Mermaid)
Someday My Prince Will Come (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
So This Is Love (Cinderella)
Tale as Old as Time (Beauty and the Beast)
Theme from Up (Up – Pixar)
The Bare Necessities (The Jungle Book)
Turning Page (Sleeping at Last)
When You Wish Upon a Star (Pinocchio)
Who Is She (Cinderella)
You’ll Be in My Heart (Tarzan)
You’ve Got a Friend in Me (Toy Story – Pixar)
Songs We Love
Can You Feel the Love Tonight
(The Lion King)
Elton John & Tim Rice
A timeless expression of rediscovered love, this piece carries warmth, openness, and quiet grandeur. Its sweeping melody and gentle intimacy make it especially fitting for ceremonies that feel romantic without being overt.
Pairs beautifully with:
“You’ll Be in My Heart” (Tarzan)
“Your Song” (Elton John)
Academy Award–winning, this song became one of the most iconic love themes in film history.
Married Life
(Up – Pixar)
Michael Giacchino
A tender, wordless reflection on partnership and devotion. Gentle, nostalgic, and quietly joyful, this piece captures the beauty of building a life together.
Pairs beautifully with:
“Clair de Lune” (Claude Debussy)
“Here Comes the Sun” (The Beatles)
Michael Giacchino won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for Up (2010). “Married Life” is the emotional centerpiece of that score and is widely regarded as one of the most affecting themes in modern film music.
Hallelujah
(from Shrek) — Leonard Cohen
A profound meditation on love, faith, and commitment. Both reverent and human, this piece carries depth and honesty, making it especially meaningful for moments that reflect the gravity of marriage.
Pairs beautifully with:
“Ave Maria” (Franz Schubert)
“Canon in D” (Johann Pachelbel)
Leonard Cohen received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and “Hallelujah” has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Though never an Oscar song, it is considered one of the most influential and enduring compositions of the late 20th century.