When you think of classical composers, you probably think of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, and numerous others. However, there are new classical superstars on the scene: The Piano Guys.

On Mar. 23, internet sensation The Piano Guys performed at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

The Piano Guys are a four-man team: producer and videographer Paul Anderson, pianist and songwriter Jon Schmidt, cellist and songwriter Steven Sharp Nelson, and music producer and songwriter Al van der Beek. The group posts piano and cello compositions combining classical, contemporary, pop, and rock and roll music. They’ve  released multiple studio albums, including The Piano Guys, The Piano Guys 2, A Family Christmas, Wonders, Uncharted, and Christmas Together, all of which reached number one on the Billboard Classical Albums and New Age Albums charts.

The Piano Guys first began in Saint George, Utah. Anderson was the owner of a store called The Piano Guys. He wanted to market his pianos and decided that the best way to go was to make entertaining music videos to engage potential customers. Schmidt, who had a concert in the area, asked to practice in the store. Anderson asked Schmidt to be in a promotional video, which turned out to be a good decision since Schmidt already had a large fan base. Nelson, who was good friends with Schmidt, eventually joined the group. Nelson then brought his neighbor, Beek, into the team.

Although the group initially didn’t gain much attention, they made a breakthrough when Schmidt invited people on his fan mailing list to watch and share “Michael Meets Mozart”. In 2011, they won the “Most Up-and-Coming Channel” on YouTube’s “On the Rise” contest, which increased their fame even more. The channel garnered tons of interest, and often attracted thousands of new viewers with each new upload. However, The Piano Guys store wasn’t as successful and had to close down due to a lack of sales.

The group’s songs are extremely unique. Their popularity is largely due to their mashups of classical and contemporary songs, allowing them to appeal to younger audiences. Some of their most popular songs include a cover of “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, “Beethoven’s 5 Secrets” (a mashup of “Secrets” by One Republic and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony), a cover of “Rewrite the Stars” from The Greatest Showman, and “Paradise” by Coldplay but with an African spin. Although these are just a few of the group’s songs, it’s easy to see why the channel appeals to a large audience.

The music isn’t the only unique aspect, with videos that are just as astounding. The Piano Guys often shoot in some unconventional places like the Utah Desert, the Great Wall of China, a beach, the edge of a 1000-foot cliff, and on top of a speeding train. What’s even better? They put short stories about each video in the description where they talk about what inspired them for that particular song, the process of creating the video, and people who helped them along the way allowing the video to have a more personal feel.

If you missed this concert, don’t worry! The Piano Guys are usually on tour year-round. Check out their website, thepianoguys.com, for tour dates, tickets, and other cool things, like sheet music, ringtones, and bows. (Yes, you can get cello and violin bows.) And of course, you should check out their YouTube channel.