Our Mission

Professional and advancing student musicians replace their strings regularly to ensure the best possible sound. Their discarded strings still have a lot of life, but end up in the landfill each year since the metal cannot be recycled; that's 1.5 million pounds of old strings! Meanwhile, musicians in under-resourced areas have difficulty acquiring strings for their instruments.

Sostenuto Strings collects donations of used/spare violin, viola, cello, and bass strings from individuals, professional/youth orchestras, luthiers, and conservatories and distributes them to community music programs in the U.S. and abroad. To date, we have collected over 1800 strings and distributed them to 570 students.

“Sostenuto” means to sustain a note beyond its original value. By donating and distributing quality strings, we can extend their value and inspire others in their music-making. And, we contribute to sustainability in the music world.

Elm Music Project receives strings

About Sostenuto Strings

Hi, I’m Josiah Kam. I’m a cellist at the Manhattan School of Music PreCollege.

When I was younger, I practiced on a cello with a poor sound. The C string in particular was frustrating because it seemed to resist my every command instead of obeying. I voiced my complaints to my teacher, and because I could not get a better cello at the time, he recommended better strings. The new strings yielded a much improved sound, which in turn strengthened my resolve to practice. My hope is that Sostenuto Strings will empower others similarly in their musical pursuits.

How it Works

1) Donate Strings

Option 1: Drop off your strings at your nearest Sostenuto Strings donation box. Please label your strings by fractional size, instrument type, and string letter.

Option 2: Send your strings by mail. After filling out our donation form below, you will have the option of either receiving a postage-paid envelope for your strings or sending it on your own.

Mailing Address: 11 Jordanna Court, Bedminster, NJ 07921