This concert is totally lit

The Newport Performing Arts Center will glow once again with the light of hundreds of candles when “Candlelight Sessions II: The Radical 80s” takes the stage on Thursday, July 9.

Presented by Oregon Coast Council for the Arts and Newport Symphony Orchestra, the second installment of the popular concert series follows a sold-out debut that introduced audiences to an intimate, on-stage musical experience unlike any other on the Oregon Coast.

For “Candlelight Sessions II,” a quartet of Newport Symphony Orchestra musicians will perform string arrangements of memorable hits from the 1980s, transforming familiar songs from the decade into lush chamber music. Throughout the evening, the musicians will also share stories and insights about the music and the era that inspired it.

The concert's unique format places audience members on stage in the Alice Silverman Theatre, seated just feet from the performers and surrounded by the glow of flickering candles.

Performing in the quartet are violinists Casey Bozell and Alberta Barnes, violist Shauna Keyes and cellist Adrienne Welsh.

The first Candlelight Sessions concert, which focused on classic rock favorites, quickly became one of the most sought-after tickets on the coast, prompting organizers to bring the series back with a new musical theme.

The July 9 show begins at 7 pm at the Newport Performing Arts Center, located at 777 W. Olive Street in Newport. Tickets are $50. For more information, go to coastarts.com or call 541-265-2787.