“Music is a living thing”: why AI will never replace the 15 music curators behind these famous Parisian concerts

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Satya Soubiran

 –  Editor

 ·  June 16, 2026

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We know Candlelight and other flagship Fever Originals experiences for their candlelit concerts, their spectacular venues, and that suspended atmosphere where the music seems different. But behind this apparent simplicity lies the unseen work of a top-tier team: the Fever Music Team. This international collective of musical architects gets involved very early on to ensure absolute artistic quality in every project, combining academic rigor with the energy of live performance.

*Every quote in the article has been translated into French from English or Spanish

Who are the people behind each concert

Behind every program, there is a team of about fifteen curators spread across the globe. And contrary to what one might imagine, they are not simply programmers.

Almost all of them come from rigorous musical training. Some hold PhDs, others have master’s degrees in the philosophy of music, and some have even performed on stages like Broadway. But above all, they remain active musicians first and foremost.

It is precisely this mix of profiles that allows us to build bridges between genres and give each concert that sense of coherence, even when it revisits very different worlds.

Behind the scenes of curation: a profession balancing instinct, method, and equilibrium

Their work, simply put, consists of “finding musicians, creating setlists, managing the arrangements, and verifying the overall musical quality of the show.” — Paula Gonzalez. But in reality, the process is much more complex.

It all starts with searching for artists. And here, the method is exhaustive: “We look everywhere—websites, YouTube, Instagram… we leave no stone unturned to find the best musicians.” — Ana Sofía Vela Ramirez

And then there’s the setlist, that sequence of songs that seems to flow naturally for the audience. In reality, everything is carefully planned.

The goal is not just to string together well-known songs, but to build a narrative. Behind every program, there is an intention: “[…] to honor the career of the artist being celebrated.” – Ana Sofía Vela Ramirez

Finally, even though Candlelight is present in hundreds of cities, each region has a dedicated curator with local knowledge who “[…] goes to great lengths to adapt the global programs to local sensibilities.” – German Ocampo Barrera

In the age of algorithms, championing a deeply human vision of music

In an increasingly tech-driven musical landscape, the Fever Music Team views algorithms as valuable tools for optimizing management and tracking trends on platforms like TikTok. However, creative curation remains the work of the curators.

Far from rejecting technology, they simply define its role: AI can assist with simple, repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on creation; but curation remains a human endeavor. Because what they seek to create goes beyond mere performance. It is about emotion, transmission, and connection.

A way of reminding us that behind every concert, every note, and every candle, there are above all choices, perspectives, and a certain vision of music.

*Curators: Pablo Moreno Sánchez, Robert Tyler Bechtle, Javier Calderari Torres, Ricky Schweitzer, Ana Sofía Vela Ramirez, Andree-Ann Deschenes, Hyunmin Kang, German Ocampo Barrera, Adrian Martens, Paula Gonzalez, Paula Flores, Lulu Whittington, Ross Raymond Mccaw, and Aalok Gandhi