The image of a string quartet in the dark, illuminated only by candlelight, is probably a familiar sight to anyone in Richmond who spends time scrolling through social media. 

This image, along with others of grand pianos and vocalists surrounded by dozens of burning candles, is an advertisement for Candlelight Concerts, a staple of social media feeds across central Virginia and – it turns out – the world. Held in 150 cities, the concerts were created in 2019 with the intent to “democratize” classical music, said Kloe Rihouey, project manager at Fever, the live entertainment company behind Candlelight. 

The premise is simple: An intimate, candlelit setting, about an hour’s worth of music, local musicians, and “accessible” pricing. Venues are selected for their acoustics and their connection to the culture of the host city, Rihouey said. Social media advertising is a huge part of the strategy, she said; it allows the company to reach a broad audience, including people who might never have considered attending a classical concert before. 

“By bringing classical and contemporary performances to unique, candlelit venues, we've created an intimate and unforgettable experience for guests around the world,” Rihouey said. 

That’s the intent. But does the reality live up to the spectacular, dare-I-say romantic social media advertisements? Is the music good? Is it exorbitantly expensive? Does the room ever catch fire because of the light of 1,000 candles? 

These are the questions I sought to answer when I purchased my ticket for “Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons,” held at the Bolling Haxall House on East Franklin Street. The ticket was $24, plus a surcharge of $1.20, and the show featured a string quartet performing an hour’s worth of music on Thursday, April 10 at 8:30 p.m.

With its Italianate-style design, wrought-iron gates, columns surrounding the front door, and stone walkways, the historic Bolling Haxall House, home of the Richmond Woman’s Club, was an ideal venue choice. In the spring, Rihouey said, the house will be decorated with flowers to complement the candles as an extra touch. Guests enter through the door to the left of the front, walk up a staircase, and into the lobby, where ushers scan tickets and help audience members find their seats. 

Entering the room where the concert is held feels a lot like walking right into one of the Facebook ads. There were so many candles that I wouldn’t have been surprised if someone suddenly took away the music stands in the center of the stage and replaced them with a large bathtub. Just add rose petals and you have a marriage proposal set ready to go.

The ceilings are Hellenic, and some of the art on the walls looks like it could have been painted on the side of an ancient Greek vase. The audience, about 75 people, chatted lightly in anticipation; the voices in the room reverberated into a pleasant hum, a good sign for the acoustics. 

When the clock struck 8:30 p.m., the house lights went dim, so all the audience could see was the glow of candlelight reflecting onto the back of the stage. That was when the string quartet walked out to applause – two violinists, a viola, and a cello. 

The musicians were, in fact, local, according to Fever. On violin were Treesa Gold, a member of the local Rosette quartet, and Jeannette Jang, a member of the Richmond Symphony since 2012. Kimberly Ryan, a member of Rosette and a school music teacher, was on viola, and Richmond Symphony cellist Peter Greydanus rounded out the group. 

After opening with “Clocks” by Coldplay, Gold took the microphone and welcomed everyone. This was a pattern that continued throughout the show: the group would play three or four songs, then introduce the next set, sometimes with a little history about each piece. 

The quartet played for about an hour, with a Coldplay song here, an Imagine Dragons song there, et cetera. During “Something Just Like This,” the violin came in at the moment where the electronic beat usually drops. Halfway through the first verse of “Radioactive,” after the part where the singer usually says “I’m breathing in the chemicals,” the musicians stopped playing and took a deep breath, just like Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds does in the song. 

The complex intro to “Adventure of a Lifetime,” the Coldplay song known for its “Planet of the Apes”-inspired music video, was played expertly on the violin. And during the lullaby “Fix You,” I heard sniffles in the audience and saw more than one person put their head on the shoulder of the person next to them. The music was so soothing that at one point I closed my eyes and allowed it to take over. 

They played “feelslikeimfallinginlove,” which apparently was written by the band and Chris Martin’s daughter, Apple. They played “Believer,” the Imagine Dragons song that blew up after it was in a Nintendo commercial during a past Super Bowl. For the last set, photos and videos were allowed. The quartet closed out with “Sky Full of Stars” before doing an encore of “Viva La Vida.” 

So how was it? Did the Facebook ads deliver what was promised? Well, I paid $25.20 for the concert, and I would say it was totally worth it. Hugs between audience members and the sniffles I heard around me indicated that I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed myself. Just over $25 per person is a pretty good deal for a date night. Over the next two months, Candlelight will host local concerts honoring Taylor Swift, Queen, Adele, and Beyonce, just to name a few. 

Oh, and is there a fire risk? Turns out the answer is no. The candles used by the company are available for purchase at a table after the show, and I can confirm they are, in fact, electric.