Pop goes the classical music at second Classical Remix Music Festival

Fans of Netflix’s period soap opera “Bridgerton” know that when the Queen’s grand ballroom is aflutter with debutantes in billowing gowns, the music is usually a chamber ensemble’s rendition of a pop song. These elegant, catchy covers include tracks by Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Coldplay and Madonna, among others.

Atlantans who want to experience some of the show’s classical-pop fusions live are in luck.

On Sunday, at the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve’s amphitheater in Johns Creek, a string quartet composed of musicians from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Atlanta Opera will play parts of the “Bridgerton” soundtrack at a free outdoor concert.

Following the “Bridgerton” portion of the evening, students from the William Pu Music Academy (and Pu himself) will perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20.

The Classical Remix Music Festival was founded by Atlanta violinist and composer Alice Hong, who describes it as "a world where pop music and classical collide.” (Photo courtesy of Classical Remix Music Festival)

While the amphitheater seats 100 people on wooden benches, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to kick back and enjoy the music, surrounded by the preserve’s 46-acre forest.

The event, along with two more concerts coming later this month, is part of Classical Remix Music Festival in Atlanta.

In its second year, the festival has been described by its founder, Atlanta violinist and composer Alice Hong, as “a world where pop music and classical collide.”

The festival grew from last year’s three events to this year’s four, starting with a sold-out children’s concert held June 13 at Lostintheletters bookstore in Candler Park.

On June 25, in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the festival will host its Classical Remix Gala Concert. An optional three-course, prix fixe dinner will be offered at Kitty Dare before the concert at the Trolley Barn in Inman Park, featuring musicians from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, ensemble vim and others.

The program will feature an eclectic mix, curated thoughtfully by Hong. The first half includes Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” Ray Charles’ version of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind” and George Gershwin’s “Three Preludes,” among others. The second half closes with Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring,” a sweeping, American epic that required expanding the ensemble from last year’s 10 musicians to this year’s 13.

Two contemporary pieces round out the program: Hong’s own “Pomegranate Noir,” a short, tender work commissioned in memory of a grandmother; and “Threnody” by Jeremy Crosmer, a cellist and composer with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Hong described Crosmer’s piece as a deliberate counterweight to the evening’s more celebratory fare.

“It’s a very bittersweet piece because I think right now, even though we’re celebrating America’s 250th, it’s kind of a complicated time for our country,” she said. “We didn’t want it to just be fireworks and all that stuff. I think this piece is a really beautiful way to honor both sides of the experience.”

Three cellists perform at 2025's "Eight Cellos of Atlanta" concert. This year's "Eight Cellos" concert is June 28 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. (Photo courtesy of Classical Remix Music Festival)

On June 28, the festival will host “Eight Cellos of Atlanta: Around the World in 80 Minutes” at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Midtown.

The concert features an octet of cellists performing a program intended to take audiences on a journey across continents. The show travels from Japan, with an arrangement of the Studio Ghibli theme “My Neighbor Totoro,” to Ireland for the folk tune “Danny Boy” and France for Gabriel Fauré’s stately “Pavane.” Vivaldi’s baroque classic “Summer” concerto will be juxtaposed by Astor Piazzolla’s tango-infused version (by way of Buenos Aires) of the composer’s full “The Four Seasons.”

Hong chose the cello ensemble format deliberately. The cello, she noted, is the instrument closest to the human voice. Gathering eight of them on one stage is a rare experience.

Hong’s dream for the festival is that it will become a summer staple and expose a wide audience to classical music. The idea was born out of her experiences playing pop-classical fusions during the pandemic. While performers everywhere were having to reinvent live concerts, Hong was invited to perform in Fever Up’s outdoor Candlelight Concerts, which were designed to expose mainstream audiences to classical music by featuring pop songs.

While playing arrangements of Taylor Swift, the Beatles and Queen for crowds with some attendees who had never set foot in a concert hall, Hong said she noticed something unexpected: People started to become fans of classical music. Later, at more traditional orchestral performances, she would run into those same concertgoers who often thanked her for the introduction.

“Seeing that reaction and how it’s enriched a lot of people’s lives really inspired me to start the Classical Remix Festival,” she said.

The mission was also personal.