In 1991, game music maestro Koichi Sugiyama began his new concert series Orchestral Game Music Concert in his native Japan, allowing the unexplored potential of video game music to be fully realized as he employed the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra to perform a wide arrange of material. Sugiyama truly believed in game music as a medium, being a classically trained composer and orchestra conductor himself, and with his support, video game music gained recognition beyond the TV screen, and classical music gained a formidable ally to introduce itself to a new generation of eager listeners.
Thomas Böcker saw video games in the same light. A lover of classical music and an avid gamer since childhood, the young man from Dresden didn’t just dream of a day when game music would be performed by orchestras across the European landscape, he personally made it a reality, and in 2003, Symphonic Game Music Concert was held in Leipzig, showcasing the very best of game music from around the world in all of its symphonic beauty. The drive, dedication and passion of the team that would be formed from these concerts would go on to set the true standard for orchestral performances based on video games, bringing tears and inspiration to young fans from all over the world with concerts such as Symphonic Shades, Symphonic Fantasies and LEGENDS.
After a hiatus lasting since 2007, Symphonic Game Music Concert will return on November 16th in the Funkhaus Wallrafplatz, the same site that held Symphonic Shades in 2008. So far, Journey has been announced to be part of the event, but as time passes, further announcements will come, and OSV will be there to provide a full report of the grand return. Tickets will be on sale at koelnticket on the 16th of July. Be sure to check back routinely for more announcement and news on the show and check out the Facebook event page!
