Candlelight Concerts in Fort Myers, Naples: What to know about hit pop-rock series
Think "Bridgerton's" pop-classical cover songs, and you'll have a good idea what to expect at a Candlelight Concerts show.
Queen, ABBA, Adele, Coldplay and other pop-rock favorites — they're all given the classical treatment with a string quartet on a romantic, candle-lit stage.
"It’s a great concept," says Andrew Kurtz, executive director of Fort Myers' Music & Arts Community Center (The MACC). "It's an amazing experience. … The candlelight makes for a really beautiful atmosphere."
The worldwide concert series has been packing the house at The MACC. And it recently came to Naples with concerts at Naples United Church of Christ, too.
The shows bring in younger crowds then you typically see at classical-music shows, including people in their 20s and 30s, Kurtz says. For many of them, it's their first time seeing a show at The MACC — and sometimes it's their first-ever concert with classical musicians.
"Most of the shows have been selling out or nearly selling out," Kurtz says. "They're very popular."
Organized by Madrid, Spain, production company Fever, Candlelight Concerts debuted in New York City in 2019 and quickly expanded to other U.S. cities, says Fever publicist Lucia Casado. In all, Fever organizes Candlelight Concerts in more than 150 cities across the world.
Here's everything you need to know about Candlelight Concerts:
What are Candlelight Concerts?
For the Candlelight Concerts series, four musicians typically sit onstage surrounded by flickering candles everywhere ― hundreds of candles, their soft light reflecting off the polished wood of their violins, cellos and other musical instruments.
The short concerts ― typically only about one hour ― usually feature a string quartet playing popular songs by modern rock and pop groups: Coldplay. The Beatles. Adele. ABBA. Ed Sheeran. Even Taylor Swift.
Plus there are usually a few classical and opera tunes "snuck into" the setlist, as one violinist joked at a recent Queen concert in Fort Myers.
Miami cellist Shea Kole, a regular with the Naples Philharmonic, performs at Candlelight Concerts shows all over South Florida. He sees them as a way to get people more interested in classical music.
"I think it's helping make string quartets relevant in a more mainstream way," Kole says. "I appreciate any enthusiasm surrounding my art form, you know. Wherever I can get it."
In addition to pop and rock shows, Candlelight also offers more traditional classical-music concerts, too, including Bach, Mozart and Vivaldi.
What's cool about Candlelight Concerts?
The whole idea behind Candlelight Concerts is this: Give people the songs they love in a cool, laid-back setting and introduce them to the joys of classical music, too.
Those namesake electric candles ― a lake of flickering artificial flame, surrounding the musicians and extending up the theater's aisles ― help transport audiences and get them in the right frame of mind for some beautiful music.
"There's something about the candlelight ambiance," says David Lisker, a professional violinist who helps find many of the shows' high-end, professional musicians through his New York City-based company, Listeso Music Group. "It's dim, but it's very romantic. It's very intimate. And it sort of focuses your senses to just enjoy the music."
Candlelight Concerts' popularity underscores a dramatic shift in how people want to experience classical music ― or, at least, modern music played with classical instruments, Lisker says.
"I often get asked this question, whether classical music is dying," he says. "Because some of the larger-format concert halls are struggling to fill the seats. From my perspective, it’s not so much the music that's the issue. It's more about the environment.
"People are a lot more interested now in having a more personalized approach, where they're not one of 5,000 guests, but more like one of 200-300 guests. They feel like they have direct access to the musicians. It's close. It's intimate."
Did 'Bridgerton' inspire Candlelight Concerts?
Candlelight debuted in Europe in 2019, but its concept might be more familiar now thanks to the runaway Netflix hit "Bridgerton." There's even a Candlelight Concerts "Best of Bridgeton" show.
In the Netflix show, a string quartet often plays classical-music versions of modern hits by Miley Cyrus, Sia, Coldplay, Maroon 5, BTS, Beyonce, Alanis Morisette and more ― all while the show's Regency-era British characters dance, flirt and compete for the queen's favor.
But Lisker doesn't think "Bridgerton" has much to do with Candlelight Concerts' success. Instead, he thinks they're both tapping into the same thing: Audiences' desire for something simpler, lower-tech and separate from the usual hustle and bustle of the 21st century.
"Audiences react well to something from a simpler time," Lisker says. "You have these authentic, antique instruments performing modern music. I think there's some kind of subconscious nostalgia there that people really resonate with."
Where can you get tickets for Candlelight Concerts in Fort Myers, Naples and the rest of Florida?
If you live in Florida, chances are good you'll find a Candlelight Concerts show somewhere near you. They're everywhere.
In Fort Myers, upcoming concerts at The MACC feature the music of Adele, Queen, Coldplay, The Beatles, Mozart and more. For tickets and days, visit feverup.com/en/fort-myers/candlelight.
In Naples, the musical offerings at Naples United Church of Christ include Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Vivaldi and Halloween music. For tickets and days, visit feverup.com/en/naples-marco-island/candlelight.
And here are more Florida venues currently hosting Candlelight Concerts:
Coral Gables: Coral Gables Congregational Church and Hotel Colonnade
Daytona and New Smyrna Beach: The Grand 721 and Brannon Center
Destin: Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center
Fort Lauderdale: The Sanctuary Church FTL and Savor Cinema
Gainesville: Hippodrome Theatre
Jacksonville: Friday Musicale
Lakeland: Lake Mirror Auditorium
Miami and Miami Beach: Scottish Rite Temple, Pinecrest Gardens and Eden Roc Miami Beach
Ocala: Ocala Civic Theatre
Orlando and Winter Park: The Azalea Lodge at Mead Gardens and The Abbey
Pensacola: First United Methodist Church
Port Lucie: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center
Sarasota: St. Boniface Episcopal Church
St. Petersburg: First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg
Tallahassee: First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee
Tampa: Centro Asturiano de Tampa
Vero Beach: Waxlax Center for the Performing Arts
West Palm Beach: First Presbyterian Church of West Palm Beach and The National Polo Center
Tickets for Candlelight Concerts range from $30-$70. For tickets or more information, visit candlelightexperience.com.
Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for tickets to shows, call the venue) or email him at [email protected].
Follow or message him on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), X (formerly Twitter) (@charlesrunnells), Threads (@crunnells1) and Instagram (@crunnells1).
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Candlelight Concerts in Fort Myers, Naples: Tickets, shows, what to know
