Candlelight Concerts Chicago

Candlelight Evanston: Featuring Vivaldi’s Four Seasons & More is an immersive classical concert that surrounds you with the warm glow of candlelight while a live string quartet brings Vivaldi’s seasonal masterpiece to life with vivid contrast and storytelling—bright, blossoming “Spring,” storm-tossed “Summer,” golden “Autumn,” and crystalline “Winter.” Along the way, the program expands the palette with the soaring lyricism of Massenet’s “Méditation,” the hypnotic modern shimmer of Max Richter’s reimagined Vivaldi, and the tango-tinged electricity of Piazzolla favorites like “Verano Porteño” and “Libertango,” creating a night that feels both intimate and cinematic from first note to last.

Candlelight: Tribute to Queen is a glowing, immersive concert that transforms the band’s stadium-sized rock into lush, cinematic string arrangements performed live in a sea of flickering candles, letting every hook and harmony hit with fresh emotion and intimacy. Over about an hour, you’ll hear instantly recognizable favorites like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “We Will Rock You,” “Somebody to Love,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Killer Queen,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “Love of My Life,” and “We Are the Champions,” all reimagined by a live string quartet for a night that feels both epic and beautifully close-up.

Candlelight: Tribute to The Beatles is an immersive concert that wraps the Fab Four’s timeless catalog in the warm glow of candlelight, as a live string quartet transforms iconic melodies into lush, cinematic arrangements that feel both intimate and electrifying. Over about an hour, the program moves through beloved classics like “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “Penny Lane,” “Strawberry Fields,” “Come Together,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “With A Little Help From My Friends,” “Help!,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Blackbird,” “A Day in the Life,” “Yesterday,” and “Let It Be,” creating a nostalgic, sing-along-friendly night where every hook lands with fresh emotion in a beautifully atmospheric setting.

Candlelight: Best of Bridgerton on Strings is a romantic, Regency-tinged concert experience that invites you to step into the world of Netflix's hit series as a live string ensemble reimagines the show's most beloved melodies in glowing, candlelit atmosphere. With sweeping, elegant arrangements that capture Bridgerton's drama, wit, and heart, the performance blends the sophistication of classical music with the thrill of hearing familiar themes and pop favorites from the series transformed into something intimate and cinematic-an enchanting night that feels like an invitation to the event of the season.

Candlelight: Tribute to Coldplay on Strings is an immersive live-music experience that transforms Coldplay's biggest anthems into lush, cinematic arrangements performed by the Metropolis String Quartet beneath the warm glow of candlelight, letting familiar melodies land with fresh intimacy and emotional punch. The setlist spans fan favorites like "Clocks," "Shiver," "Speed of Sound," "Trouble," "Fix You," "Paradise," "Something Just Like This," "Yellow," "The Scientist," "feelslikeimfallinginlove," and "A Sky Full of Stars," creating an hour of soaring crescendos, tender quiet moments, and sing-along energy-reimagined in a way that feels both elegant and deeply moving.

Candlelight: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac on Strings is a glowing, immersive concert that transforms Fleetwood Mac’s iconic soft-rock sound into lush, cinematic string arrangements performed live in a sea of flickering candles. Expect an intimate, emotionally rich journey through favorites like “Everywhere,” “Gypsy,” “You Make Loving Fun,” “Never Going Back Again,” “Don’t Stop,” “Gold Dust Woman,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Landslide,” “Little Lies,” “Songbird,” “Rhiannon,” and “The Chain,” where familiar melodies take on new warmth and drama—part sing-along nostalgia, part classical reimagining, and entirely transportive.

Candlelight: Neo-Soul Favorites is a smooth, candlelit concert experience that reimagines modern R&B, neo-soul, and hip-hop favorites through lush live string arrangements, letting familiar grooves and hooks land with new intimacy and cinematic warmth. Performed by the Listeso String Quartet, the set moves through a feel-good, slow-burn playlist that can include SZA's "Good Days," Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor," Solange's "Don't Touch My Hair," Miguel's "Adorn," Frank Ocean's "Thinkin Bout You," Prince's "Purple Rain," Sade's "Smooth Operator," D'Angelo's "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," Childish Gambino's "Redbone," H.E.R.'s "The Best Part," Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name," and Boyz II Men's "End of the Road," creating an immersive night that feels equal parts soulful, elegant, and deeply vibey under the glow of candlelight.

Candlelight: Rings and Dragons is a spellbinding, candlelit concert that brings the sound worlds of epic fantasy to life through lush live string arrangements, blending the sweeping wonder of The Lord of the Rings with the brooding power of Game of Thrones in a way that feels both cinematic and surprisingly intimate. Over the course of about an hour, you’ll travel from Middle-earth’s most beloved themes like “The Shire,” “Rivendell,” and “The Breaking of the Fellowship” to Westeros favorites including the “Game of Thrones” main theme, “Rains of Castamere,” “Light of the Seven,” and more—each piece reimagined to heighten the drama, warmth, and atmosphere under the soft glow of hundreds of candles.intimate. Over the course of about an hour, you'll travel from Middle-earth's most beloved themes like "The Shire," "Rivendell," and "The Breaking of the Fellowship" to Westeros favorites including the "Game of Thrones" main theme, "Rains of Castamere," "Light of the Seven," and more-each piece reimagined to heighten the drama, warmth, and atmosphere under the soft glow of hundreds of candles.

Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer is an immersive, candlelit concert that transforms some of modern cinema’s most unforgettable scores into lush, emotionally charged string arrangements, bringing blockbuster themes into a setting that feels both epic and intimate. Performed live by a string quartet, the program sweeps through Zimmer favorites like “Time” from Inception, “This Land” from The Lion King, “A Dark Knight” from The Dark Knight, highlights from Gladiator, Interstellar (“Cornfield Chase”), Dune, Dunkirk (“Supermarine”), Sherlock Holmes (“Discombobulate”), and a Pirates of the Caribbean suite, creating an atmosphere-rich night where every crescendo hits like a movie moment—only closer, warmer, and lit by the soft glow of hundreds of candles.

Candlelight: Tribute to Bad Bunny is a vibrant, candlelit concert that reimagines the global superstar’s biggest reggaetón and Latin-pop hits in lush, cinematic string arrangements, turning club-ready grooves into something surprisingly intimate and emotional. In a room lit by hundreds of flickering candles, a live quartet guides you through fan favorites like “NUEVAYol,” “Si Estuviésemos Juntos,” “La Canción,” “La Noche de Anoche,” “Yonaguni,” “Moscow Mule,” “Callaíta,” “Ojitos Lindos,” “Me Porto Bonito,” “Tití Me Preguntó,” “un 100xto,” and more—capturing the swagger, romance, and late-night energy of Bad Bunny’s catalog with a fresh classical twist.

Candlelight: Tribute to Drake is a live, multi-sensory concert that reimagines Drake’s biggest hits in lush, cinematic string arrangements, performed in an intimate setting illuminated by the warm glow of candlelight. Over the course of about an hour, a live string quartet transforms fan favorites like “Passionfruit,” “Marvins Room,” “Teenage Fever,” “Headlines,” “Take Care,” “Laugh Now Cry Later,” “God’s Plan,” “Controlla,” “Fair Trade,” “Crew Love,” “Over,” “In My Feelings,” “One Dance,” and “Hold On, We’re Going Home” into something fresh and surprisingly emotional—capturing the smooth late-night mood, the big hooks, and the swagger that made these songs iconic.

Candlelight: Tribute to Taylor Swift is a dreamy, candlelit concert that transforms Swift’s eras into sweeping live string arrangements, turning familiar hooks into something intimate, cinematic, and unexpectedly emotional. The program blends iconic sing-along favorites like “Love Story,” “You Belong With Me,” and “Shake It Off” with newer hits including “Anti-Hero,” plus era-spanning medleys inspired by Red, Reputation, folklore, and 1989—with “Cruel Summer” and the evocative “The Fate of Ophelia” adding extra drama and atmosphere—creating the feeling of a greatest-hits journey heard in a whole new light.

Candlelight: Tribute to Adele is a glowing, immersive concert experience that reimagines Adele’s powerhouse ballads and breakup anthems in lush live string arrangements, performed in a room lit by the soft shimmer of candlelight. Over roughly an hour, you’ll hear beautifully transformed favorites like “Hello,” “Rumour Has It,” “Make You Feel My Love,” “Water Under the Bridge,” “Oh My God,” “Someone Like You,” “Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” “Chasing Pavements,” “Skyfall,” “When We Were Young,” “Set Fire to the Rain,” “Easy On Me,” and “Rolling in the Deep,” creating a night that feels intimate, cinematic, and deeply emotional from the first note to the final crescendo.

Experience the raw emotion and unforgettable anthems of the 1990s reimagined in an intimate acoustic setting at Candlelight: 90s Unplugged, where the Listeso String Quartet breathes new life into grunge, alternative rock, and power ballads that defined a generation. This 60-minute journey features stripped-down interpretations of iconic tracks from Nirvana, Foo Fighters, The Cranberries, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, and more, transforming electric guitar riffs and drum-driven energy into hauntingly beautiful string arrangements that reveal the profound musicality beneath these beloved songs.

Candlelight: Ed Sheeran Meets Coldplay pairs two stadium-sized catalogs with the intimacy of a classical performance, inviting audiences to hear familiar pop anthems transformed into rich, cinematic arrangements performed by the Listeso String Quartet in a warmly lit sea of candles. Expect a sweeping mix of soaring ballads and high-energy crowd favorites as Coldplay and Ed Sheeran melodies are reimagined for strings—moving from the pulse and sparkle of songs like “Clocks,” “Something Just Like This,” and “Adventure of a Lifetime” to the emotional lift of “Fix You,” “The Scientist,” “Photograph,” and “Perfect,” and building toward big-singalong finales such as “Viva la Vida,” “Give Me Love,” and “A Sky Full of Stars.”

Candlelight: The Best of Joe Hisaishi is an intimate, candlelit concert that celebrates the sweeping, instantly recognizable melodies of Joe Hisaishi—best known for his iconic film music in the Studio Ghibli universe—reimagined for string quartet in a warm, cinematic setting where every theme feels close enough to breathe. Over the course of the program, Listeso’s quartet moves from soaring adventure to tender lullaby and quiet wonder, featuring beloved selections from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Ponyo, and Howl’s Moving Castle, creating a nostalgic journey that’s as transportive for longtime fans as it is enchanting for first-time listeners.

Experience the greatest rock anthems of the 1980s reimagined in an intimate candlelit setting at Candlelight: 80s Rock Anthems. The Metropolis String Quartet brings iconic hits from legends like Queen, U2, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, and Michael Jackson to life through stunning string arrangements, transforming power ballads and stadium anthems into elegant classical performances. Surrounded by the warm glow of hundreds of candles, audiences will hear beloved songs including "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Under Pressure," "Africa," and "Beat It" performed with classical sophistication while maintaining the raw energy that defined the decade. This 60-minute concert offers a unique multi-sensory experience that bridges the worlds of rock and classical music, perfect for both devoted fans of 80s rock and those seeking an enchanting evening of live music in an unforgettable atmosphere.

Candlelight: From Bach to The Beatles is a genre-hopping, candlelit concert that pairs beloved classical masterpieces with iconic Beatles songs, reimagined for string quartet in a warm, immersive atmosphere. The set moves seamlessly from the elegance of Bach (including a Bach/“Blackbird” pairing) and the sparkle of Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik,” through the dramatic drive of Beethoven’s Fifth and the dreamlike shimmer of Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” then back into Beatles favorites like “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Yesterday,” “Help!,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “A Day in the Life,” and “Strawberry Fields Forever,” creating a musical journey that connects centuries of melody, emotion, and invention in a single, intimate evening.

Candlelight: Featuring Mozart, Bach, and Timeless Composers is an immersive classical concert that pairs the warmth of candlelight with live chamber music, as a string quartet performs a curated journey through some of Western music’s most beloved works—from Baroque brilliance to Romantic drama and luminous Impressionist favorites. The program spotlights instantly recognizable passages like selections from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 and Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik and the achingly beautiful “Lacrimosa” from his Requiem, then builds to the iconic drive of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, the sweeping emotion of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, and the dreamy shimmer of Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” rounded out with a vibrant movement from Ravel’s String Quartet—a timeless setlist designed to feel both elegant and deeply moving in an intimate, candlelit atmosphere.

Candlelight: Tribute to TOOL brings the band’s dark, hypnotic catalog into an intimate, candlelit setting, where the music is reimagined in rich, cinematic arrangements for strings for a powerful, multi-sensory concert experience. Performed by the Metropolis String Quartet, the program highlights fan-favorite tracks like “Vicarious,” “Stinkfist,” “Forty Six & 2,” “Schism,” “Sober,” “Disposition,” “The Pot,” and “Pneuma,” letting TOOL’s shifting rhythms, tension-and-release builds, and haunting melodies unfold with fresh nuance—at once atmospheric, intense, and unexpectedly elegant.

Candlelight: Anime Soundtracks brings a glowing, multi-sensory concert experience to life as the Metropolis String Quartet performs iconic themes from beloved anime by candlelight, transforming familiar melodies into rich, cinematic string arrangements that move from adrenaline and drama to tenderness and nostalgia. The program draws from major hits across genres and eras—featuring music from Demon Slayer (“Gurenge”), Jujutsu Kaisen (“Kaikai Kitan”), BEASTARS (“Monster”), Detective Conan (the “Case Closed Theme”), ONE PIECE (“New Genesis” and “The Peak”), Yuri!!! On Ice (“In Regards to Love – Eros”), and Neon Genesis Evangelion (“A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”), alongside lyrical selections tied to celebrated animated films such as Your Name. (“Sparkle”) and multiple Studio Ghibli favorites—creating a fan-forward night that’s as transporting for longtime anime lovers as it is welcoming for newcomers who simply want to hear stunning themes played live.

Candlelight: Songs from Magical Movie Soundtracks is a warm, immersive concert experience that brings beloved film music to life through the rich, cinematic sound of the Metropolis String Quartet, surrounded by the gentle glow of hundreds of candles. Over the course of about an hour, you’ll hear iconic themes and sing-along favorites reimagined for strings—sweeping from Disney classics like “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” “Tale As Old As Time,” “A Whole New World,” “Let It Go,” and “You’ll Be in My Heart,” to crowd-pleasers such as “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” “My Favorite Things,” the playful “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and unforgettable moments from Star Wars including the “Theme,” “Imperial March,” and “The Throne Room,” all crafted to feel intimate, nostalgic, and downright magical.

Experience the timeless music of Mexican icon Juan Gabriel reimagined in an intimate candlelit setting at Stan Mansion, where a talented string quartet performs his most beloved songs in a stunning 60-minute tribute concert. The Listeso String Quartet breathes new life into classics like "Amor Eterno," "Querida," "Así Fue," and "El Noa Noa," transforming these passionate ballads and upbeat favorites into elegant string arrangements that honor the legendary singer-songwriter's emotional depth and musical genius. Surrounded by the warm glow of hundreds of candles in the historic Masonic lodge-turned-performance venue, audiences will be transported through a journey of Juan Gabriel's greatest hits, from the heartfelt "Abrázame Muy Fuerte" to the festive "No Tengo Dinero," all performed with the rich textures and sophisticated harmonies that only a live string ensemble can deliver.

Experience the soulful sounds of D'Angelo reimagined in an enchanting candlelit setting at this unique tribute concert featuring the acclaimed Chicago string quartet Listeso. This intimate 60-minute performance transforms D'Angelo's iconic neo-soul catalog into stunning string arrangements, showcasing timeless classics like "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," "Brown Sugar," "Lady," and "Really Love" alongside deeper cuts from his celebrated discography. Performed in the beautiful sanctuary of Wicker Park Lutheran Church, the concert creates an unforgettable multi-sensory experience as hundreds of flickering candles illuminate the space, adding warmth and atmosphere to the sophisticated string interpretations of D'Angelo's smooth grooves and sensual R&B masterpieces.