Well-Strung is out to prove that classical-music audience members don’t always wear tuxedos, tails and monocles and sit quietly with their hands folded.
The out string quartet is hitting the road to promote its latest album, “POPssical,” which celebrates the group love of mashing up the whimsy of pop hits with the skill and virtuosity of classical music.
Group members Edmund Bagnell (first violin), Christopher Marchant (second violin), Daniel Shevlin (cello) and Trevor Wadleigh (viola) are classically trained musicians known internationally for their unique spins on music, ranging from Mozart and Beethoven to Madonna, P!nk, Britney Spears and Taylor Swift.
Their unique approach to pop and classical music has won them many fans across the globe. The group recently performed at a Sunday Mass at the Vatican in Rome, a gala honoring Sir Ian McKellan and an event for presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. They have also caught the attention of other famous performers like Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris, who called upon them to collaborate and share stages.
“We love collaborating with other performers,” Marchant said. “The most opportunities that we’ve had in that realm are with Broadway performers; we’ve shared that stage with many awesome performers, all of them very on board to collaborate.”
While it certainly isn’t the first or only group to take classical stringed instruments in a more mainstream direction, Well-Strung distinguishes itself from similar groups by focusing on a high level of musicianship, as well as showmanship.
“What sets us apart is we sing and play at the same time,” Shevlin said. “We don’t use any backing tracks or electronics live; it’s all acoustic. We really blend classical and pop together. It’s become our signature musical identity. We take the time to truly mash up the classical with the pop to create a whole new sound.”
The musicians also pull many of their own influences into their classical-oriented sound.
“We have our own musical tastes and the four of us have varying tastes, from hip-hop to country to classical and Top 40,” Wadleigh said. “So our tastes are a reflection of our own styles and what audiences respond to. We always like to come up with surprising mixes and offer things that people aren’t expecting. They get a thrill out of that.”
Well-Strung generated interest in its “POPssical” album, as well as the funds to make it, with a year-long national tour and Kickstarter campaign.
“We are very glad that we did a Kickstarter for this album,” Wadleigh said. “I think we were all very encouraged by the amount of support we got from our fans, both financial support and just the excitement over the album. So it felt like a collaborative effort and now we’re so excited to get this album out for people who wanted it to happen.”
“It’s been really exciting,” Bagnell added. “We’ve been releasing a series of videos in anticipation of the album. Those have been received really, really well. So we’re excited for the album to come out.”
It probably doesn’t hurt that Well-Strung is a photogenic group of performers (they have at times been described as a classical boy band), as well as accomplished musicians. But the members of the group said their sexual identities and looks aren’t the reason the individual members are part of the group.
“It was never our goal to have four gay people comprising the quartet,” Marchant said. “We were open to any and all people who wanted to audition to be part of it. It was just the best people who were right for the group and it just happened that we were all gay.”
“It’s interesting because people do latch onto that but it’s not the focus of what they are talking about,” Bagnell added. “Yes it is something that people mention, and we are out and proud so we’re happy for that to be there, but I wouldn’t say our music is getting lost in the discussion at all.”
With Well-Strung bridging the gap between pop and classical music, we asked them if they are turning pop fans on to classical music or getting classical fans interested in the Top 40.
“One of our goals is creating a friendly approach to classical music so that if somebody goes in only knowing the pop songs, they can come away with a new appreciation for classical music and maybe know just a little bit more about it,” Marchant said. “Then sometimes we have very strong classical-music fans who leave the show saying, ‘I didn’t know Ke$ha could be played so beautifully.’ So it’s a two-way street and that’s definitely intentional on our part.”
The musicians also said their songs are always entertaining, whether they are playing straight-up classical numbers or their own takes on pop songs.
“We present all the music in the same way,” Bagnell said. “So it’s not like suddenly we do pop and it’s like ‘fun time’ and then we do a classical piece and it’s ‘time to get serious.’ We present all the genres in the same way.”
“We really hit all aspects of emotion,” Shevlin added. “It’s definitely fun and loose. It’s a good time and a Well-Strung party. When we really bear down on classical music, you can really get a sense of our musicianship. We take ourselves quite seriously as musicians but we have fun. The range of music that we perform runs the gamut so it really is all-terrain.”
Well-Strung performs 8 p.m. Nov. 6-7 at the Rrazz Room at The Prince, 1412 Chestnut St. For more information or tickets, call 215-422-4580 or visit www.therrazzroom.com or www.well-strung.com.