The Highline String Quartet’s Candlelit Concert: A Perfect Date for Orthodox-Jewish Music Lovers

Oct 1, 2021 by Susan Rosenbluth

By Miriam Rosenbluth

This summer, after almost a year and a half of pandemic-induced, very limited live dating-site locations, the Highline String Quartet offered observant-Jewish classical music lovers, like me, a meaningful New York City experience worthy of being shared with a significant other.

Held at the Sixth Floor Loft, an elegantly furnished, multipurpose space at Union Square in Manhattan, the quartet’s candlelit concert could not have been a more perfect setting for a late-summer date.

The group, a project of the Highline Chamber Ensemble, consists of passionate musicians whose backgrounds include the country’s finest conservatories and music departments. Their events are held throughout New York City at non-traditional concert venues, including lofts, art galleries, and studios.

Attracting Young Audiences

It’s no secret that COVID-19 dealt many industries a significant blow. Classical music concerts, which had already been on a steady decline, seemed doomed to meet their demise. Theaters, concert halls, orchestras, and performance troupes across the globe were forced to close as the number of ticket sales and funding plummeted. Many organizations attempted to adapt by moving performances online to the “Zoom” format, but, despite their hopes, that didn’t generate enough attendance.

The current challenge faced by music performing organizations is to increase interest, especially among members of the younger generation. Fortunately, a number of groups have stepped up to the plate, promising new and innovative plans designed to reinvigorate audiences.

The Highline String Quartet along with Feverup (an event-planning organization) has been part of that effort to revitalize classical music.

Highline String Quartet

Clever Marketing and Programs

I first learned about the group’s Candlelit Concerts in August through an advertisement on Instagram. Marketing the performance on social media platforms as well as promising “Instagram-worthy” picture opportunities with romantic settings is exactly the type of outreach the industry needs to attract young people.

Not only did the Highline String Quartet encourage video and picture-taking during the performance (asking audience members to post and tag them), but they also provided interesting, timely, and approachable explanations of the pieces they performed without any of the stuffiness too many young people associate with classical music.

The concert I attended featured excerpts from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Max Richter’s re-composition of The Four Seasons, as well as pieces by the modern Argentine tango composer, Astor Piazzolla, and French composer, Camille Saint-Saëns, including Le Cygne (The Swan) from The Carnival of the Animals.

The delicate, haunting, and often vivacious music drifted through the intimate setting, delighting both classical music aficionados and newbies alike.

Getting over the Fear

Classical music was my first love, but after a few years on the dating scene, I had resigned myself to probably never finding someone my age who shared my passion. Groups like the Highline String Quartet seem determined to change that dynamic.

My recommendation for anyone, especially young Jewish singles, looking to expand their own—or a friend’s—horizons with classical music is to get over the fear that it is too daunting or unapproachable. A good place to start would be to check out the Highline String Quartet’s performance schedule.

I think the consensus is that we’ve had enough of Zoom performances. It’s time to get back to the concert halls.