Symphonic Game Music Concerts
The Symphonic Game Music Concerts ("abbreviated to Game Concerts") are a series of award-winning video game music concerts initiated in 2003 in Germany, notable for being the longest running and the first of their kind outside Japan. They are produced and directed by Thomas Böcker and performed by various orchestras conducted by Andy Brick (2003–2007), Arnie Roth (2008, 2009 and 2011), Niklas Willén (2010, 2012) and Eckehard Stier (from 2012 for most of the concerts). From 2003 to 2007, "GC in Concert" took place at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig and was held as the official  opening ceremony of the GC – Games Convention, a trade fair for video games in Leipzig. From 2008 to 2013, new video game music performances were presented in cooperation with the WDR by its in-house ensembles, principally performed in the Cologne Philharmonic Hall. From 2013, new programmes eventually embarked on a world tour. Development. Since 1999, Thomas Böcker has been working in the games industry as producer, director and advisor for a variety of soundtracks. His role as executive producer and project director of the "Merregnon" albums provided him with many contacts to conductors, orchestras and composers from around the  world. Inspired by game concerts from Japan, the "Orchestral Game Music Concerts" from the 1990s in particular, he developed a concept for the first event of this kind outside Japan. To attract as many people from the target audience as possible, the concert was to be scheduled alongside an established event connected to the game industry. In 2002, he proposed his idea to the Leipzig Trade Fair which agreed to hold the "Symphonic Game Music Concert" during the GC – Games Convention, the first trade fair for video games in Europe. The Leipzig Trade Fair funded "GC in Concert" while Böcker  himself was responsible for planning the concert as producer, inviting composers, obtaining the approval of the individual publishers to perform music from their titles and assembling the concert programs. He did not want to limit the selection of compositions performed to European games, but instead opted for the best Asian, American and European titles of recent years, providing a wide range of musical styles. Böcker's main focus with the "First Symphonic Game Music Concert" was to honor publishers that had worked with live orchestras before. The majority of compositions had already been recorded with this kind of ensemble in  the past which reduced the development stage to four months, beginning in mid-April 2003. Following feedback from attendants of the first event, more music from classic games was added to the programs. The concerts took Böcker almost one year each to plan and started to include more new and experimental arrangements that, instead of just being presented as an orchestral version of the source material, were based on their creators' personal interpretations of the original pieces. The pioneer work done by Böcker and his team resulted in a lot of publisher support for game concerts outside Japan and paved  the way for many similar events. The "Symphonic Game Music Concerts" have since become widely known for its numerous world premieres, some of which have been reused in "Press Start -Symphony of Games-", "PLAY! A Video Game Symphony" and "". Böcker was involved with "PLAY!" in a leading role from 2005 to 2007, and was working as a consultant for "Distant Worlds" from 2007 to 2011. A large number of well-known composers of game music have taken part in the events and the associated autograph sessions. From 2003 onwards, these were Nobuo Uematsu, Yuzo Koshiro, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Michiru Yamane, Chris  Huelsbeck, Rob Hubbard and Allister Brimble, among many others. Also, Yuzo Koshiro, Michiru Yamane and Takenobu Mitsuyoshi actively participated in the series as arrangers and performers. Several of those personalities were to be returning guests, joined from 2009 by composers including Yoko Shimomura, Yasunori Mitsuda, Hiroki Kikuta, David Wise, Masashi Hamauzu and Yasunori Nishiki. GC in Concert. Starting from 2003, five critically acclaimed annual concerts took place in the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, all of which attracted a sold-out crowd of 2000 people. In their role as official opening ceremonies of the GC – Games Convention, the events from 2003 to  2006 included various speeches and presentations by German politicians and spokespersons of the industry, such as game designer Will Wright. The "First Symphonic Game Music Concert" in 2003 marked the first orchestral video game music event outside Japan, an achievement listed as a Guinness World Record. It was the only GC – Games Convention concert to feature the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, whereas subsequent events were performed by the FILMharmonic Orchestra from Prague. Over the years, more musicians such as Seiji Honda and Rony Barrak were introduced to support the orchestra, with the "Fourth Symphonic Game Music Concert" using a live  choir and the pipe organ of the Gewandhaus for the first time. Favoring a more classical atmosphere, the concerts did not rely on showing game footage or extensive light effects, but rather on the quality of the music and its performance. The original inspiration "GC in Concert" drew from the "Orchestral Game Music Concerts" was reflected in the presentation and rearrangement of two of its compositions and the use of orchestra figures designed by Chisa Suzuki, akin to those depicted on the "Orchestral Game Music Concert" CD covers. At the beginning of 2008, a note at the official website of  the "Symphonic Game Music Concerts" announced that no future GC – Games Convention concerts would take place at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig. Instead, the opening ceremony in 2008 was replaced by a "Video Games Live" show in the Arena Leipzig. The official reason given by the Leipzig Trade Fair for cancelling the traditional concert series was that they intended to prove to politics and business that video games are cultural assets with the "Symphonic Game Music Concerts". Since the official opening ceremony no longer included concerts from 2007 onwards, this requirement seemed redundant for the Leipzig Trade Fair. The GC – Games  Convention had its last year in its original format in 2008. After 2007. At a suggestion by conductor Scott Lawton, Winfried Fechner, the manager of the "WDR Radio Orchestra Cologne", contacted Thomas Böcker, who then invited him to the "Fifth Symphonic Game Music Concert" in Leipzig. Böcker had previously been in conversation with Lawton about his work on video game music concerts. Impressed by the reactions of the audience, Fechner saw an opportunity to excite young people for orchestral music and formed a cooperation with Merregnon Studios and his orchestra, soon resulting in the CD release of "drammatica -The Very  Best of Yoko Shimomura-" and the inclusion of video game music in the concert "PROMS That's Sound, that's Rhythm". Symphonic Shades – Hülsbeck in Concert. In late 2007, Thomas Böcker announced that he is producing "Symphonic Shades", a concert exclusively dedicated to the music of German game composer Chris Hülsbeck, taking place on 23 August 2008. Tickets for it were sold out after six days, prompting the producers to schedule a second concert that would be performed to another sold-out audience at 11 pm on the same day of the "Symphonic Shades" world premiere. The event marked the  first live radio broadcast of a video game music concert. On 17 December 2008, a critically acclaimed album with the complete "Symphonic Shades" program was released by Chris Hülsbeck's own label, synSONIQ Records. It contains live material from the concert that is complemented by recordings before and after the public performances. The first print of the CD is a collector's edition limited to 1000 copies and was sold out at the main retailer less than a month after the initial release. In order to ensure continuous availability of the recording, digital releases on iTunes and Amazon followed the  CD, of which a second print was released on 20 May 2009. Unlike the limited collector's edition, the second print is lower in price and is shipped in standard CD trays, but still contains the booklet included with the first 1000 copies of the album, though with normal printing rather than a matte/gloss coating effect on the cover. On 4 August 2009, eight pieces of "Symphonic Shades" were performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra at the concert "Sinfonia Drammatica" in the Stockholm Concert Hall, along with titles of "drammatica" by Yoko Shimomura. For this occasion, Jonne Valtonen  slightly revised his version of the "Turrican II" main theme. Additionally, the Duisburg Philharmonic performed nine arrangements from "Symphonic Shades" at their "3. Familienkonzert" on 3 December 2009. Symphonic Fantasies – music from Square Enix. Concerts 2009. In February 2008, Thomas Böcker mentioned some considerations about a continuation of the "Symphonic Game Music Concert" series in Cologne. The plans were later confirmed by Winfried Fechner who announced "Symphonic Fantasies", a video game music concert that took place in the Cologne Philharmonic Hall on 12 September 2009. Tickets for the event sold out quickly, necessitating a second concert at the König-Pilsener -Arena in Oberhausen, on 11 September 2009. In addition to the live performances, the concert saw a radio broadcast on WDR4 and, for the first time, enabled viewers worldwide to experience the event via live video streaming. A CD edited and mixed at the WDR Studios and mastered at Abbey Road Studios was released in Japan on 15 September 2010 by Square Enix and in Germany on 17 September 2010 by the Universal Music Group label Decca Records. The CD entered the Media Control Charts Germany (Classic Top-20 Charts) for sales in September 2010 at position No. 13. "Symphonic Fantasies  was dedicated to Japanese developer Square Enix and included arrangements of compositions from Final Fantasy", "Secret of Mana", "Chrono Trigger", "Chrono Cross" and "Kingdom Hearts", all of which were presented in form of suites that were up to 18 minutes in length, comparable to movements in major symphonies. This new concept was a result of Böcker's intention to introduce more musical development and creative ideas to game music arrangements. In order to select the pieces presented, the original composers were consulted to assemble a list of their personal favorites. The process also involved an intricate study of the source  material and all available arrangements thereof. In the end, much emphasis was put on balancing out the concert program and the arrangements to provide an enjoyable experience for both experienced listeners and first-time attendees. To set the mood for the performances, the concerts were opened with an original composition by Jonne Valtonen, the "Fanfare overture". An early recording of the fanfare performed by the WDR Radio Orchestra Cologne under the direction of Niklas Willén was made available on the official "Symphonic Fantasies" site. In total, the concerts received about two weeks of rehearsal time prior to their performances, more  than any other game concert before. Concerts 2012. On 7 and 8 January 2012 the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus performed "Symphonic Fantasies" under the leadership of Eckehard Stier. Stier once conducted the recordings of the CD album "drammatica -The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura-", and the opening fanfare of "Symphonic Legends" for a promotional video. Both performances of "Symphonic Fantasies Tokyo" were sold out within a few hours only, making it the biggest success for the producers to date. More than 4,600 fans were in attendance. A double CD containing the Tokyo concert recording was released  in Germany on 11 June 2012. However, the CD was sold in Sweden for the first time on 9 June 2012 at the "Symphonic Fantasies Stockholm" performance, conducted by Andreas Hanson. Finally, on 5 and 6 July 2012 the WDR Radio Orchestra and the WDR Radio Choir performed "Symphonic Fantasies", conducted by Niklas Willén. In 2009, Willén conducted the opening fanfare of "Symphonic Fantasies" for the promotion of the event, and the WDR Radio Orchestra also performed the Nintendo tribute concert "Symphonic Legends" under his direction in 2010. Symphonic Legends – Music from Nintendo. "Symphonic Fantasies" was met with considerable praise  and feedback from attendants, causing the announcement of another "Symphonic Game Music Concert" entitled "Symphonic Legends". Taking place in the Cologne Philharmonic Hall on 23 September 2010 (Nintendo was founded on 23 September 1889), the complete concert was conducted by Niklas Willén for the first time, whereas Jonne Valtonen again served as main arranger and as composer of the opening piece called "Fanfare for the Common 8-bit Hero". Additional music was contributed by Roger Wanamo and guest arrangers Shiro Hamaguchi, Hayato Matsuo, Masashi Hamauzu and Torsten Rasch. The event focused on music from Nintendo and featured the titles "Super  Mario Bros.", "Super Mario Galaxy", "Donkey Kong Country", "Metroid", "F-Zero", "StarFox", "Pikmin" and "The Legend of Zelda". Tickets for "Symphonic Legends" sold out on 19 March 2010. In addition to the performance, the concert saw a live radio broadcast on WDR4 in 5.1 surround sound, a worldwide live audio streaming and live video streaming, available in Germany. "Symphonic Legends" introduced several innovations to the world of video game music concerts, such as the contemporary styled arrangement of "Metroid" and a 35-minute Symphonic Poem telling the story of "The Legend of Zelda" through symphonic music. The "Legend of Zelda  portion of the concert made the full second half of Symphonic Legends". This was done in five parts, "Hyrulian Child", "Dark Lord", "Princess of Destiny", "Battlefield", and "Hero of Time". On 31 May 2011, "Pikmin" and "The Legend of Zelda" were performed again by the "Düsseldorfer Symphoniker" at the Tonhalle Düsseldorf. On 1 June 2011, scores inspired by "Symphonic Legends" were performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra at the concert "LEGENDS" in the Stockholm Concert Hall. Different from "Symphonic Legends", which featured the work of six arrangers, the music of "LEGENDS" has been arranged by the trio Jonne Valtonen , Roger Wanamo and Masashi Hamauzu who were in attendance at the concert and Meet & Greet. Symphonic Legends London – 2014. On 13 July 2014, the Symphonic Legends concert was performed at the Barbican Centre, London by the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Chorus and the five piece chamber ensemble Spark. The Legend of Zelda Symphonic Poem returned along with the Fanfare for the Common 8-bit Hero, along with an overture of music from Skyward Sword, a concerto of music from The Wind Waker, and an arrangement of the Gerudo Valley theme from Ocarina of Time as an encore. Symphonic  Odysseys – Tribute to Nobuo Uematsu. On 9 July 2011, the WDR Radio Orchestra presented "Symphonic Odysseys" at the Philharmonic Hall in Cologne. The concert exclusively paid homage to the work of composer Nobuo Uematsu. Tickets went on sale 1 December 2010 and sold out within 12 hours, prompting the producers to announce a second concert to be performed at 3 pm on the same day. With both concerts sold out, "Symphonic Odysseys" marked the biggest video game music event in Germany so far. Symphonic Odysseys Paris and London – 2017. The London Symphony Orchestra and the London Symphony Chorus performed "Symphonic  Odysseys" in June 2017 under the baton of Eckehard Stier. The first concert took place on 18 June at the Philharmonie de Paris, the second on 20 June at the Barbican Centre London. Same as in Cologne years before, Nobuo Uematsu was present at both events as guest of honour. Final Symphony – Music from Final Fantasy VI, VII and X. Final Symphony is a concert tour produced and directed by Thomas Böcker, which for the first time was created without the support of other parties such as Leipzig Trade Fair or WDR, but was developed and financed exclusively by his  own company, Merregnon Studios. Final Symphony features the music from Final Fantasy VI, VII and X. The world premiere took place on 11 May 2013, in Wuppertal, Germany. The concerts were performed by the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra at the venue Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal. A performance by the London Symphony Orchestra has been presented on 30 May 2013 taking place in London at the Barbican Centre, the first live performance of video game music by the London Symphony Orchestra, marking a historical moment for the Final Fantasy franchise and video game music in general. Final Symphony in Wuppertal and London sold  out months prior to the concert dates. The pieces were arranged by Masashi Hamauzu, one of the composers for Final Fantasy X, along with Jonne Valtonen and Roger Wanamo, and the arranged works are based on compositions by him and Nobuo Uematsu, who is acting as a consultant for the concert. Eckehard Stier is the conductor of Final Symphony. Symphonic Selections – Japanese Video Game Music. Symphonic Selections took place in Cologne on 22 November 2013 and was once again performed by the WDR Radio Orchestra. For the first time, the orchestra was supported by the chamber group Spark. It featured  reprises of arrangements performed at earlier Symphonic Game Music Concerts, in addition to all new scores. Pieces included a concerto for ", Shadow of the Colossus, Shenmue, Monster Hunter Tri," and "Super Mario Galaxy." Tickets went on sale 22 July 2013; with the event reportedly selling out in less than an hour following the announcement. Final Symphony II – Music from Final Fantasy V, VIII, IX and XIII. Final Symphony II is Thomas Böcker's latest major video game music concert production, featuring entirely new arrangements. The concert tour features arrangements of video game music selected from the "Final Fantasy" series, specifically  Final Fantasy V, "VIII", "IX", and "XIII," first held at the Beethovenhalle in Bonn, Germany on August 29, 2015, performed by the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn. The Final Symphony II concerts have received rave reviews from critics, who viewed it as a high-quality extension of the original Final Symphony concert series rather than a completely unique orchestral experience. Symphonic Memories – music from Square Enix. Symphonic Memories is a concert production that brings together arrangements from previous programmes by Merregnon Studios, such as Symphonic Fantasies, Final Symphony and Final Symphony II, as well as completely new scores. It premiered on June  9, 2018 at the Konserthuset Stockholm, performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. It has since been presented by the Oulu Symphony Orchestra at the Oulu Music Centre, the St. Gallen Symphony Orchestra at the Tonhalle St. Gallen, the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra at Culttz Kawasaki and the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz at the Pfalzbau Ludwigshafen. Chamber music and school concerts. The "Chamber Music Game Concerts" () performed by a string ensemble and the school concerts "Heroes of our Imagination" () and "Super Mario Galaxy – A Musical Adventure" () are three subseries of events also produced by Thomas Böcker. The free of charge "First Chamber  Music Game Concert" in 2005 was held as part of the gaming tournament GC-Cup at the Augustusplatz in Leipzig, while the latter two took place in 2006, alongside a GC – Games Convention press conference event and the historical exhibition "Nintendo – Vom Kartenspiel zum Game Boy" of the Landesmuseum Koblenz. The four school concerts "Heroes of Imagination" in 2006 were intended to show differences and similarities between classical music and game music and to make orchestra concerts more accessible to a younger audience. They were supported by Nintendo, Square Enix and Sega. In January 2010, five additional school concerts were  performed by the same orchestra. The series was entitled "Super Mario Galaxy – A Musical Adventure" and was the spiritual successor to the well-received "Heroes of Imagination" events. Modeled after and acting as a modern-day "Peter and the Wolf", the musical segments of the concerts were interspersed with narrations of the storyline of "Super Mario Galaxy", with the performances having been officially licensed and sponsored by Nintendo.