I discovered a local string quartet that hosts intimate concerts held in a historic venue in downtown Toronto!
If you love live music, you definitely wont want to miss a chance to experience Candlelight Concerts. You can find these concerts in your area, as the Listeso Music Group performs worldwide! Using an app/web service called Fever, you can brows local shows in your area, from live music to interactive experiences. This is where I discovered all that Candlelight concerts have to offer! They also appear in different venues, some smaller than others, some on a larger scale (meaning tickets may sell out fast for the shows you may want to attend!)
I had heard about theses concerts before, but didn't really look into it much. What specifically peaked my interest was the Favourite Anime Themes show that a friend eventually told me about! I definitely wanted to hear awesome anime music being played by lovely stringed instruments. (Fun Fact: I used to play the viola in high school!! I took a class on stringed instruments and also got to perform with my class at various shows. But alas, it is so hard to juggle and balance many hobbies, and I was not able to continue it moving forward.)
I love watching live music and Kyelor never experienced watching a strings concert, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to go! After we watched the Anime Themes concert, we loved it so much, we decided to go again! This time, we went to experience the music from Studio Ghibli movies and the talents of Joe Hisaishi.
Both these concerts took place at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto. Here is another fun fact: the first legalized same-sex marriages took place in this church! So this is a very important location/venue to the Toronto community that provides a safe space and welcomes all. The church is beautifully illuminated by hundreds of candles, surrounding the performers and lighting the way to each row down the isle. (they are electric for safety!) The concerts were performed by the Listeso Music Group, over 1,000 classically trained musicians local to each area where performances take place! And let me tell you, they are PACKED with talent!
So as I mentioned above, the first concert we attended was Favourite Anime Themes. They played a selection of songs from Demon Slayer, Evangelion, and even JOOOOOOJO! It was so much fun hearing these songs composed for stringed instruments. It gave me so many feels! You can see the full setlist here.
Photos or video are not allowed during the show, but for the final song, they allowed photos and videos (no flash though, because its very distracting for live performers!) I took a photo of their final bow also, but because its dark, my phone couldn't get the best capture!
(Sorry for the blurry faces performers!!)
The Ghibli concert was just as delightful, playing songs from Kiki's Delivery Service, Totoro, Nausicaa, and more! (Yet another fun fact: My favourite Ghibli movie is Nausicaa and I even cosplayed as her back in 2012 I believe!) Joe Hisaishi actually had a concert in Toronto, but I didnt get a chance to go. I was so happy when I found out that there was going to be a concert for Ghibli music since I've really wanted to experience it live! I was so happy~ Below is a photo while they played their final piece from Howl's Moving Castle - Merry Go Round of Life! (and final fun fact: I cosplayed as Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle in, I believe 2013 or 2014 at a local convention, where 2 friends joined me as Howl and the Witch of The Waste. We entered the Masquerade in the Artisan Division and won for best in division!)
Be sure to check out one of these concerts when you have a chance! They perform world wide, so you might find one happening in your area soon. For more information on Candlelight Concerts, check out their website and social media!
Candlelight Concerts Intsagram