Story and Photos by Chris Parker
Video by Frank Knight
The Eugene Symphony pleased video game enthusiasts at the Hult Center in late April by hosting “Play! A Video Game Symphony,” an internationally traveling event that features a selection of compositions hailing from video game soundtracks. Andy Brick, an original composer and conductor for the symphony series, conducted the symphony bridging the gap between classical music and modern entertainment. Nostalgic soundtracks from Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda were complemented by popular contemporary soundtracks such as Halo.
Audience members included multiple generations as entire families of video game lovers purchased tickets for “Play!”. A portion of the audience wore character costumes and entered the costume contest being held by the event organizers before the show. Most costumed members of the audience were children, but a few adults expressed their enthusiasm for the event by also dressing up. Popular costumes included familiar characters like Mario and Luigi, from the “Mario Brothers” games, and Link, the main character from the Legend of Zelda series, as well as Sora, a more contemporary character from the popular Kingdom Hearts series.
“Not only does [“Play!”] connect people of different areas and regions, but it connects them to their orchestras,” Brick says. “I can’t emphasis enough how much this connection really exists, because you get this younger generation to connect this very old artistic institution.”
Catering to the local Northwest region, the orchestral event included a composition from Elder Scroll 4: Oblivion by Jeremy Soule, who creates video game scores from his studio in the Northwest region. Brick mentioned that “Play!” seeks to find music that resonates with a local audience, often choosing works written by composers in the region.
The next “Play!” event will be in Vancouver, Canada, at the Orpheum Theater on December 6.