Harsha Jade’s candlelight concert celebrates Queen and Abba’s hits

Under the soft, flickering glow of candlelight, pianist Harsha Jade prepares to take the stage not just to perform, but to transport. Today, his fingers will dance across keys not just in tribute to Queen and Abba, but in conversation with them, in communion with the audiences who carry those songs in their hearts.

Ahead of this unique evening, we catch up with Harsha to explore how classical roots meet pop nostalgia and what it truly means to interpret legends without uttering a word

Jade’s musical odyssey began, fittingly, with a surprise. “My father brought me an audio cassette of a pianist performing at a hotel he stayed in at Delhi,” he recalls with a smile. That cassette would change the trajectory of a 10-year-old, who began experimenting on a little keyboard before formally learning piano and eventually classical music.

“But even while I studied classical piano, I was listening to Abba, Elton John, Bryan Adams, The Beatles, Dire Straits... ” he says. “Abba was childhood music to me. Queen came a little later.” That blend — rigid discipline on one hand, pop playfulness on the other — would become the backbone of his artistic voice.

Harsha Jade’s journey from Beethoven to Bohemian Rhapsody wasn’t an accident, but rather a carefully crafted invitation from Candlelight Concerts by Live Your City, a global movement that reimagines iconic music through intimate, candlelit performances. “They wanted to revive these great bands for a new audience. Some people come in with nostalgia, others are discovering this music for the first time. Either way, it’s magic.

Translating vocal anthems into instrumental elegance is no small task. “When I play classical concerts, I can’t change a single note. The composition is sacred,” he explains. “But with Queen and Abba, I can add my own colours. I’ll use a touch of jazz here, a classical flourish there. No two shows of mine are ever exactly the same.”

Translating vocal anthems into instrumental elegance is no small task. “When I play classical concerts, I can’t change a single note. The composition is sacred,” he explains. “But with Queen and Abba, I can add my own colours. I’ll use a touch of jazz here, a classical flourish there. No two shows of mine are ever exactly the same.” It’s not just an experiment, it’s evolution. “When preparing for this concert, I discovered new things about the music… and about myself. Every song pushed me to dig deeper — to express a lyric’s emotion without words, to let the piano speak sorrow, joy, romance.”

One of the most captivating aspects of Harsha’s performance is how he makes the audience hear the lyrics, without a single syllable sung. “Yes, most of these legendary tracks are vocals-first. So, I pay close attention to the meaning behind the words. If a song expresses heartbreak, my piano will cry for it. If it’s full of joy, my rhythms will smile.” It’s in this translation that the audience connects on a new, sometimes unexpected level. “When vocals are stripped away, the listener starts noticing other things — subtle harmonies, emotional undertones. It becomes deeply personal.”

The setlist is a careful mix of the iconic and the intimate. “Candlelight wants to feature well-known hits — songs people will instantly recognise. But I always include a few lesser-known gems. A secret medley, a hidden treasure.” For Harsha, it’s not just about nostalgia, it’s a way of storytelling. “There are some songs that didn’t top charts but are heartbreakingly beautiful. I love slipping them in as a surprise.”

Unlike large arenas or flashy stages, candlelight concerts thrive on intimacy. “It’s more romantic, more direct. I feel the audience. There’s no barrier. And because it’s just the piano and me, no backing tracks and it’s really a very very pure conversation.”

While Harsha doesn’t chart a fixed course, “it’s hard to plan more than a few months ahead in this field,” he admits that he’s clear that this concert is an important stop on his solo artiste journey. “Being classically trained gave me the foundation to explore these other genres with depth. I’ve done Michael Jackson concerts recently. Next might be Elton John. Who knows?”

For first-timers wondering if a candlelight concert is worth the hype, Harsha offers a poetic promise, “It’s more than music. It’s a story. A feeling. A chance to disconnect from chaos and reconnect with beauty.” In a world moving fast and loud, a candlelight concert offers stillness. “It’s quality time,” Harsha says. “With yourself. With art. With memories — old and new.”

INR 1,599 onwards. Today, 5 pm and 7 pm. At Alliance Française de Bangalore, Thimmaiah Road.

(Written by Aiswarya Nandakumar)

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