Peter Wyrick and Amy Hiraga

Instruments: Wyrick, associate principal cello; Hiraga, second violin Residence: Mill Valley

Wedding date: Dec. 17, 1989

Years together: 40

Q: How did you meet?

Hiraga: We met in Aspen, Colo., at the music festival when we were 16 years old. I was from Seattle and Peter was from Poughkeepsie.

Wyrick: We had our first date the following year at the Young Musicians Foundation Competition in L.A. We both took second prize. Then we went to college together at Juilliard and I wanted to date her but she always, always had a boyfriend. I finally cracked it when we ended up in San Francisco together.

Q: How did you both get into the San Francisco Symphony?

Wyrick: We both landed jobs in the mid’80s when we were in our 20s. We were the youngest members of the orchestra.

Hiraga: We got together officially once we were out here.

Wyrick: We were in the orchestra together and we quit, and went to New York to struggle for 10 years. Then in 1999 we came back. We were each hired twice to be in the orchestra.

Hiraga: It took me a few more tries than it took Peter to get a job back.

Q: How close in proximity do you sit on the stage?

Wyrick: As far apart as you can get.

Q: Do you make contact or send signals during performance?

Wyrick: All the time. Amy and I are very observant, so whenever anything happens — whether it’s a sneeze in the audience or somebody drops their (horn) mute — she is the first person I look to and she always notices from directly across (the stage).

Q: What is the best thing about working together?

Hiraga: There are so many best things about working together. We actually like commuting together. We listen to Audible books constantly.

Wyrick:I remember hearing Amy when I was 16 and I fell in love with her playing, which for me is the same as falling in love with the person.

For 40 years, we’ve done every musical thing together. We are a little bit like conjoined twins that way, and it’s just been a wonderful life.

Q: What is the worst thing about working together?

Wyrick: We can bring it home with us, and we have so much in common that it can get to be oppressive at times. We’ve learned over the years not to dwell on bad stuff.

Q: Who is the better performer?

Hiraga: Peter.

Wyrick: Oh, gosh.

Q: Are your kids following the family tradition?

Wyrick: Probably. We have two girls. One plays the cello and one plays the violin. They are both professional musicians in New York City.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@ sfchronicle.com. Instagram: sfchronicle_art