Candlelight Concerts Chicago

Candlelight: Mozart vs Beethoven is a luminous classical “showdown” that sets two titans of Western music side by side, performed live in a room glowing with candlelight as a string ensemble brings their most iconic melodies into sharp, emotionally charged focus. The program moves from Mozart’s sparkling elegance—featuring favorites like the “Turkish March,” the overture to The Marriage of Figaro, and the irresistible energy of Eine kleine Nachtmusik—into Beethoven’s bold, dramatic world with beloved excerpts such as the Moonlight Sonata, the aching slow movement of the Pathétique, “Für Elise,” and triumphant symphonic moments like “Ode to Joy” and the famous opening drive of Symphony No. 5, creating an intimate, cinematic evening where every phrase feels fresh, immediate, and unforgettable.

Candlelight: Vivaldi's Four Seasons 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: 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: 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 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.

Candlelight: Hip-Hop on Strings is a high-energy, candlelit concert that gives classic and modern hip-hop a bold new sound, as the Metropolis String Quartet transforms legendary beats and hooks into lush, cinematic arrangements performed live by the glow of hundreds of candles. The setlist blends iconic sing-along tracks with crowd-pleasing medleys—featuring moments like Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise,” Cardi B’s “I Like It,” plus suites celebrating Jay-Z, Outkast, Lauryn Hill & Fugees, Kendrick Lamar, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, and Eminem—creating an hour-long experience that feels both elegant and electric, with every familiar melody hitting in a fresh, surprisingly emotional way.

Candlelight: 90s Hip-Hop on Strings is a high-energy, candlelit concert that flips golden-era hip-hop into lush, cinematic arrangements performed live by a string quartet, letting iconic hooks and beats hit with fresh drama and surprising emotion. Over about an hour, you’ll hear crowd-pleasing medleys celebrating legends like Fugees and Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, Nas, Outkast, Missy Elliott, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., and Dr. Dre—plus a full-string take on Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice”—creating an immersive night that feels equal parts nostalgic, elegant, and electrifying under the warm glow of candlelight.

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: 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.

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.

Candlelight brings its signature multi-sensory concert experience to the music of Michael Jackson, with a string quartet performing the King of Pop's greatest hits in a room aglow with hundreds of flickering candles. Over the course of an hour, audiences will hear beloved songs spanning his entire career reimagined for strings, from early favorites like "I Want You Back" and "Rock With You" to iconic anthems including "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," "Man in the Mirror," and "Thriller." The intimate candlelit setting transforms these familiar pop classics into something unexpectedly moving, giving longtime fans and newcomers alike a fresh way to experience one of music's most legendary catalogs.

Candlelight: Tribute to Metallica reimagines the thunder of one of rock's most iconic bands through the elegant voices of a string quartet, performed in a space illuminated entirely by the warm glow of thousands of flickering candles. The Listeso String Quartet transforms Metallica's most legendary anthems, from the driving intensity of Enter Sandman and Master of Puppets to the haunting beauty of Nothing Else Matters and Fade to Black, revealing the melodic power beneath the metal. The hour-long program also features favorites like One, The Unforgiven, Sad But True, and Whiskey in the Jar, each given new life through classical arrangement. Equal parts concert and atmosphere, this multi-sensory experience offers longtime fans and curious newcomers alike a chance to hear familiar songs in an entirely unexpected and unforgettable way.

Candlelight: Tribute to Trent Reznor transforms the brooding, atmospheric music of one of modern music's most influential composers into an intimate live concert experience, performed by a string quartet surrounded by the warm glow of thousands of flickering candles. The program spans Reznor's remarkable range, from the raw industrial edge of Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" to his Oscar-winning film work with Atticus Ross, including haunting selections from The Social Network, Gone Girl, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Soul, and Challengers. Hearing these dark, textured compositions reimagined through classical strings reveals a striking beauty beneath the distortion, making this a memorable evening for longtime Nine Inch Nails fans and newcomers alike.

Candlelight brings its signature multi-sensory concert experience to the music of Phil Collins, performed live by the Metropolis String Quartet in a space illuminated by the warm glow of hundreds of candles. Over the course of an hour, the quartet reimagines the beloved songbook of the Genesis frontman and solo superstar through elegant string arrangements, with a program expected to include "In the Air Tonight," "Against All Odds," "Another Day in Paradise," "Sussudio," "Invisible Touch," "You'll Be in My Heart," and more. The intimate candlelit setting transforms familiar pop and rock anthems into something entirely new, making this a memorable evening for longtime fans and newcomers alike. This tribute concert is open to guests ages 8 and up, with anyone under 16 accompanied by an adult, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artist.

Candlelight: Tribute to Ariana Grande transforms the pop superstar's biggest hits into an intimate, multi-sensory concert experience, performed live by the Metropolis String Quartet in a room aglow with hundreds of flickering candles. Over the course of an hour, audiences will hear string arrangements of fan favorites spanning Grande's career, from early anthems like "The Way" and "Dangerous Woman" to chart-toppers including "thank u, next," "God is a woman," "Into You," and selections from her recent eternal sunshine era. Part of the internationally acclaimed Candlelight concert series, this tribute reimagines familiar pop songs through the elegance of classical instrumentation, creating an evening that appeals equally to devoted Arianators and lovers of live string music. The concert runs 60 minutes and is open to guests ages 8 and up.

Candlelight: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac 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: A Haunted Evening of Classical Compositions transforms a beloved concert series into something delightfully sinister, as the Metropolis String Quartet performs a spine-tingling program illuminated entirely by the flicker of candlelight. The hour-long experience weaves together the great macabre masterworks of the classical canon, from Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain and Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre to Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King and Bach's thunderous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, alongside eerie favorites like Chopin's Funeral March and Mozart's Lacrimosa. Modern chills round out the evening with string arrangements of Thriller, Ghostbusters, The Cranberries' Zombie, and themes from The Exorcist and The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's an atmospheric, multi-sensory celebration of the season that makes classical music feel gloriously haunted.

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.

Candlelight: Christmas Classics transforms a beloved holiday songbook into an intimate, multi-sensory concert performed entirely by the light of hundreds of flickering candles. The Metropolis String Quartet takes the stage for a 60-minute program that glides from timeless favorites like Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night, and Greensleeves to modern seasonal staples including Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You, Wham!'s Last Christmas, and Let It Snow. The evening also weaves in enchanting selections from The Nutcracker, Frozen, Anastasia, and The Holiday, giving the program a cinematic sparkle alongside its classical warmth. Part of the internationally acclaimed Candlelight concert series, this holiday edition invites audiences to slow down, settle into the glow, and experience the music of the season the way it was meant to be heard: up close, unplugged, and unforgettable.

Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings wraps the season's most beloved music in the warm, flickering glow of hundreds of candles for a truly enchanting hour of holiday magic. The Metropolis String Quartet performs timeless carols including Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night, Silent Night, Joy to the World, and Greensleeves, transforming familiar melodies into something intimate and transporting through the rich, expressive voices of four string instruments. Part of the wildly popular Candlelight concert series, this multi-sensory experience pairs world-class live music with a breathtaking candlelit setting, creating an atmosphere equally suited to a romantic evening out, a festive gathering with friends, or a memorable family tradition. Whether you come to rediscover the wonder of the classics or simply to soak in the ambiance, this hour of music by candlelight captures the spirit of the season beautifully.

Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons is a high-energy, candlelit concert that transforms two arena-sized catalogs into lush, cinematic string arrangements, performed live by the Metropolis String Quartet for an immersive hour of soaring melodies and big emotional payoffs. The program moves through fan favorites like Coldplay’s “Clocks,” “Adventure of a Lifetime,” “Fix You,” “The Scientist,” “Viva la Vida,” and “A Sky Full of Stars,” alongside Imagine Dragons hits including “Radioactive,” “Eyes Closed,” “Nice to Meet You,” “Follow You,” “Bad Liar,” and “Believer,” creating a “best of both worlds” evening where familiar choruses feel intimate, dramatic, and completely reimagined under the glow of candlelight.