In Your 'Wildest Dreams': Candlelight Concerts' string quartet plays Taylor Swift
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Taylor Swift’s massive tour is the hottest ticket around, but for those fans who weren’t able to snag tickets, or just don’t want to be surrounded by 40,000 other screaming Swifties, there is a unique and more intimate way to experience her music.
Imagine instead sitting in a cozy space illuminated by the romantic glow of a thousand candles (electronic, not real, so no fire hazards) listening to a string quartet perform heart-melting interpretations of your favorite Taylor Swift songs in the round.
Candlelight Concerts are a series of original music events created by the live-entertainment and ticketing app, Fever, which is also responsible for the popular “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” exhibition. Fever is a global live-entertainment discovery tech platform with the mission to “democratize access to culture and entertainment.”
“There were experiences that were not accessible to people, and with that came the creation of Candlelight which is our first Fever Originals experience,” said Dana Moutis, Fever Originals manager. “It’s a classical music experience and we really take an art form and make it accessible for everyone. The music itself, you don’t really need to know about classical music to be present in the experience.”
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Afterglow
Having curated concerts in more than a hundred cities worldwide for over 3 million people, Candlelight Concerts are finally hitting Savannah with a series of classical string quartet concerts at The Desoto Savannah hotel.
The Candlelight Concert series originally focused on classical composers such as Vivaldi, Mozart, and Chopin, but has since branched into classical interpretations of Queen, ABBA, Ed Sheeran, and even K-Pop.
“From the data that we gathered, and even the actual audience coming back to our shows, we’re able to understand what they want to see,” said Moutis. “We’re constantly evolving because we have sold-out shows and audiences coming back to the experiences, so we’re able to listen to them and then change the experience based on the feedback.”
The Taylor Swift Tribute is proving to be particularly popular and tickets are, unsurprisingly, selling out fast. The 65-minute program includes classical re-imaginings of Taylor Swift songs: “Lavender,” “Love Story,” “Cardigan,” “Blank Space,” “Enchanted,” “Anti-Hero,” “All To Well,” “Wildest Dreams,” ‘You Belong With Me,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
“We had first launched this tribute to her before her new album, but the program has been able to evolve for her new album,” said Moutis. “She’s such an iconic artist, so it’s a no-brainer that people want to hear her music in a different way, and we’re able to do that through a string quartet.”
'Like you're the only one in the room'
Candlelight Concerts use local and regional string quartets for all of their events, and are featuring Listeso String Quartet for their Savannah shows.
“Atlanta was one of our first cities that we launched during the pandemic, and it was a great response,” said Moutis. “With that we’ve been able to seamlessly launch Savannah, getting people connected through the community we have.”
Besides the Taylor Swift Tribute, Candlelight Concerts will be returning throughout the year with more performances, including a Tribute to Queen on August 13, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on August 27, Mozart’s Requiem on September 17, and another Taylor Swift concert on November 14.
Each concert is wonderful and unique, but Moutis has a particular favorite.
“I know this sounds cliché, but for me it’s Vivaldi’s 'Four Seasons,' just because the way we do this, we talk about accessibility,” said Moutis. “You really learn something when you hear the “Four Seasons” on strings, and the musicians really talk you through the parts. That’s a really fun program for me because I learn so much every time. It’s become one of my favorite pieces.”
Moutis described the atmosphere for all of the Candlelight Concerts as “cathartic.” With an intimate setting, lush string music, and soft illumination from a thousand candles, listeners can get lost in the hypnotic experience.
“You can sit, relax, and feel like you’re the only one in the room,” said Moutis.
Tickets are available at candlelightexperience.com or the Fever app. Although all of the scheduled concerts are taking place at The DeSoto, Candle Concerts are excited to launch at other great Savannah venues soon.
If You Go >>
What: Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift
When: 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m., July 21
Where: The DeSoto Savannah, 15 E. Liberty St.
Cost: $50-60
Info: candlelightexperience.com
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Candlelight Concerts string quartet tribute to Taylor Swift Savannah ga
