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Courtesy photoThe Candlelight Concerts series features classical musicians performing a variety of classical and contemporary music.
Candlelight Concerts coming to Wailea on Saturday
Audiences at the Grand Wailea have enjoyed being immersed in a candlelight glow as a classical string quartet plays music ranging from Coldplay and Imagine Dragons to Christmas favorites.
Presented in the resort's Haleakala Ballroom, two Candlelight Concerts on Saturday will feature the music of Fleetwood Mac and composer Hans Zimmer set to thousands of artificial candles.
"It's epic," said Teresa Skinner, principal violist for the Maui Pops Orchestra. "It's bringing classical musicians together to play approachable music in a setting in which it's completely illuminated by candles."
Created by the Fever entertainment company, traditional music recitals have been transformed into intimate, atmospheric events. Launched in 2019, the concerts originally focused on composers such as Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Tchaikovsky, with the aim of making classical music more accessible while moving it beyond the conventional concert hall.
"The Candlelight Concerts brand has become a phenomenon, helped in no small part by social media," noted a BBC Classical Music article.
Candlelight programs now encompass an expansive musical landscape, with tributes to artists from Queen, ABBA and Coldplay to Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Aretha Franklin. There are concerts devoted to film scores, television music, K-pop and other contemporary genres.
Skinner said the setting makes the concerts extra special. Rather than placing musicians on a stage illuminated with conventional theatrical lighting, Candlelight Concerts surround the audience and performers with the soft glow of flickering candles.
"We sit in the middle of the ballroom and all the candles are surrounding us," said Skinner. "It's theater in the round and there are candles on the stage, and candles all around the room, and under chairs. It's magic."
The concerts have been quite successful. As one of the world's largest live entertainment companies, Fever is currently valued at $5.2 billion. Toronto Today reported about the Candlelight Concerts: "Fever utilizes its marketing and technology savvy to attract young people to classical music."
Courtesy photoA string quartet performs surrounded by artificial candles during a Candlelight Concert. Candlelight Concerts have paid tribute to artists ranging from Queen and ABBA to Coldplay and Taylor Swift.
The performances now occur in over 140 cities in the U.S. and 150 internationally, with a combined audience of 3 million. When a Candlelight show debuted in Mumbai in 2024, Rolling Stone India described it as "a magical evening of music and ambiance."
Joining Skinner at the Wailea shows will be Michael Hitchcock, who plays with the Lōkahi Trio, on cello; violinist Rachel Saul, who has performed with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra since 2012; and Amber Roseler on violin.
Fleetwood Mac fans will be treated to a range of hits from "You Make Loving Fun," "Never Going Back Again" and "Don't Stop" to "Gold Dust Woman," "Go Your Own Way," "Landslide" and "Songbird."
The Zimmer concert will feature songs from such movies as "The Lion King," "Inception," "The Prince of Egypt," "Dunkirk" and "Dune."
"Some of it is tunes, and some is ambient music which conjures up images from the films," Skinner explained.
She remembers playing at eight previous Candlelight Concerts, including the inaugural Halloween show in 2025.
"It had all kinds of movie music from creepy movies and horror movies, and some other creepy music like Shostakovich's '10th String Quartet,' which was brutal to learn, but it was fun," she said. "We did 'Stranger Things,' 'Beetlejuice,' 'Tubular Bells' and 'Psycho.' It was pretty amazing."
Her favorite so far is the Zimmer program. "I really liked the challenge of the Halloween concert last year because it was so diverse, but for what we've done lately, I'm really enjoying the Zimmer."
Maui audiences have appreciated the unique performances.
"The audience really enjoys it," said Skinner. "It's something that's approachable for them, but in a whole different genre, and it gives them a different experience, especially with thousands of candles all over the place."
The Grand Wailea will present "Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer" at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, followed by "Candlelight: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac" at 8:30 p.m. Shows are suitable for ages 8 and older. Concertgoers under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Seating is first-come, first-served within assigned zones. For more information and tickets, visit feverup.com/en/maui-hi-us/candlelight.