About us
Unplug. Unwind. Connect.
Rediscover the joy of real connection through shared experiences and authentic friendships.
So Cal Explorers Meetup is the antidote to a hyper-digital, disconnected world. We gather for fun, relaxed outings to explore the most iconic, historic, quirky, and lesser-known corners of Southern California—and beyond—together. Whether it's a walking tour, hike, museum visit, movie night, or group travel abroad, our adventures are all about learning, exploring, and enjoying each other's company.
We're not a dating group. We're not a networking group. We're simply a welcoming space for adults to connect, laugh, and build friendships—without pressure, expectations, or hidden agendas.
We also care deeply about our communities and the world around us. From time to time, that means participating in charitable efforts or showing up for causes and issues we feel strongly about—including peaceful protests. Not every event is centered on this, but these values are part of who we are. If that’s not something you’re interested in—or if it feels uncomfortable—this group may not be the right fit, and that’s okay.
Our crew is mostly progressive, slightly irreverent 40- to 60-somethings with a love for counter-culture and curiosity. But all open-minded adults (18+) are welcome!
Join us for hiking, historic tours, movies, museum visits, kayaking, presentations, live music, good food, great conversation and even international adventures.
So Cal Explorers is where awkward small talk turns into epic friendships. Come along—we’re saving you a seat.
Upcoming events
11
FREE CONCERT: UP CLOSE & CLASSICAL - RAVEL & MENDELSSOHN
St. Cornelius Catholic Church, 5500 E Wardlow Rd, Long Beach, CA 90808, USA, Long Beach, CA, USFREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - NO TICKETS REQUIRED
Date: Sunday, September 20, 4:00
Possible dinner afterwards TBDVenue: St. Cornelius Church
5500 E Wardlow St., Long Beach, CA 90808Program:
String Quartet
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847 ) String Quartet No 2 in a minor op 13
Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937) – String Quartet in F MajorAbout UP CLOSE AND CLASSICAL:
Website: https://upcloseandclassical.com/
UP CLOSE AND CLASSICAL, a musical experience of time.
Our Mission is to make chamber music more accessible
By presenting professional chamber music concerts with free admission,
by choosing repertoire that tells the story of this art form, and
by giving “listening keys” so any audience member can be prepared for optimal appreciation.Our Vision is local and professional.
Many professional classical musicians live in the Long Beach and surrounding communities. It is possible to bring people together to provide opportunities for shared experiences of music, fostering education and unity. UP CLOSE AND CLASSICAL can be the recognizable name where professional musicians share the chamber music they love while being fairly paid for their skills and preparation.UP CLOSE AND CLASSICAL is a fiscally-sponsored affiliate of InterMusic SF, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to small-ensemble music. (EIN 94-3298643)
Question or comment? Call Hervé at 626 278 0786 or email upcloseandclassical@gmail.com .
How we started?
In 2023, Alicja and Hervé Blanquart started organizing chamber music concerts with free admission in both San Pedro and Long Beach, in churches, under the dba UP CLOSE AND CLASSICAL (UCC), with an initial $5000 loan and a dedicated bank account. UCC became in April 2025 a fiscally-sponsored affiliate to IntermusicSF, a non-profit organization specializing in small-ensemble music, received a grant from the Colburn Foundation and sponsorship from the Port of Long Beach. This support has allowed UCC to present 37 concerts with free admission to a cumulated audience of 2,265 as of June 2026. We are planning 32 concerts for an expected audience of 3,200 in 2026-27.What is the impact of our work?
The proximity our concerts offer and the listening keys we provide are transforming our audience’s perception of chamber music in three ways:1- Wordless music is not “background”, it is meaningful. This meaning is accessible through active listening.
2- Chamber music is not “long”. Musical form is realized in time. Mankind has always used music to understand time.
3- In chamber music, vulnerability is cherished. Musical ensembles are small by choice. When the power of technology seems limitless, live chamber music reconnects us with the vital need humans have to make music with instruments, proven by a 40,000-year history.
This reconnection happens in thousands of individual ways thanks to our concertsWhat needs do we address?
In the 4th century, St Augustine wrote: “What is time? If no one asks me, I know: if I wish to explain it to one that asks, I do not know”. Since he wrote his Confessions, music has often been preferred to words to discuss the nature of time. But most people have not benefited from such discussion for the last 100 years. Despite Henri Bergson’s powerful argument using music to demonstrate that Albert Einstein’s notion of spacetime was incomplete, in their famous 1922 debate, time has since been widely misunderstood as homogeneous, and musical tastes have evolved in new ways, for example to value a predictable beat over flowing rhythm. Goethe described a string quartet as “four intelligent people conversing with one another”. The true nature of time is always a subject of such conversations. For example, as Bergson explained to Einstein, the nature of simultaneity is obvious to a trained listener appreciating musical counterpoint. The speed of light is irrelevant to such knowledge, made accessible through music. Good conversations have rhythm, not a predictable beat. They happen “up close”, and classical music shows how seemingly incompatible ideas can simultaneously be beautiful, and foster peace. We need more such conversations in our 21st century!FOUNDERS: ALICJA and HERVÉ BLANQUART
13 attendees
Past events
594
