Video Game Orchestra
Encyclopedia
Video Game Orchestra is an orchestra
that performs contemporary arrangements of video game music with an orchestra, choir, and rock band. The orchestra consists of the regional and international award-winning musicians from over 20 countries. This multi-cultural diversity background and its unique format create the unique sonic signature of VGO.
, in June 2008. Since then they have been actively performing around the Boston
area.
, Chrono Trigger
, Chrono Cross
, Legend of Mana
, Metal Gear Solid
, and etc.
on March 5, 2009 and was the first concert of its kind in the history of Berklee College of Music. It received a heave promotion and VGO was featured on NECN News, Boston Globe, and numerous other papers, radio stations, and websites around the world. Four popular American video game composers attended the concerts as the guests. Jack Wall
, the former conductor/musical director of Video Games Live
conducted his own composition from the massive game franchise, Myst
as well as Advent Rising
by his former colleague Tommy Tallarico
. One of the composers from the God of War series, Gerard K. Marino, contributed his heavy metal arrangement of The End Begins (To Rock) from God of War 2. The orchestra also featured compositions from Brothers in Arms
by Dancun Watt and Ceaser IV by Keith Zizza
. Both are New England based game composers.
2009 as the opening act for the main musical guest, Kalafina
and Yuki Kajiura
. The concert was held at Hynes Convention Center
Auditorium on May 23, 2009. VGO featured its chamber group along with its rock band. To honor the presence of Yuki Kajiura, for the first time they included an Anime song from Tsubasa Chronicle that Kajiura composed in their set list. VGO's performance was highly acclaimed and eventually Anime Boston brought them back to the stage again in 2010.
, a composer from the Metal Gear Solid
franchise, attended the concert.
East 2010 at Hynes Convention Center in March 2010, VGO was featured as one of seven musical guests.
, had a surprise appearance on One Winged Angel during the encore.
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
that performs contemporary arrangements of video game music with an orchestra, choir, and rock band. The orchestra consists of the regional and international award-winning musicians from over 20 countries. This multi-cultural diversity background and its unique format create the unique sonic signature of VGO.
History
Video Game Orchestra was founded by Shota Nakama, a graduate from Berklee College of MusicBerklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
, in June 2008. Since then they have been actively performing around the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
area.
A Night of Symphonic Video Game Music
VGO's debut concert, A Night of Symphonic Video Game Music, was held at Gordon Chapel in Old South Church in Boston on July 2, 2008. The orchestra, or rather a small ensemble of 28 musicians, performed the music from popular titles such as Final FantasyFinal Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
, Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
, Chrono Cross
Chrono Cross
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Chrono Trigger, which was released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System...
, Legend of Mana
Legend of Mana
Legend of Mana, known in Japan as , is the fourth game in the Mana series. The game was released for the PlayStation in Japan on July 15, 1999 and in North America on June 7, 2000, with a delayed release in Canada...
, Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
, and etc.
Another Night of Symphonic Video Game Music
VGO's second concert was held at Church of the Covenant of Boston on November 2, 2008. The group became much larger than before with the addition of a choir and rock band.VGO @ Berklee Performance Center
VGO's third concert was its major breakthrough. This sold out concert was held at Berklee Performance CenterBerklee Performance Center
The Berklee Performance Center is a 1,215-seat theatre located on Massachusetts Ave. in the Back Bay area of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest theatre space on the Berklee College of Music campus and is used primarily for college-affiliated activities. Presenters from outside the Berklee...
on March 5, 2009 and was the first concert of its kind in the history of Berklee College of Music. It received a heave promotion and VGO was featured on NECN News, Boston Globe, and numerous other papers, radio stations, and websites around the world. Four popular American video game composers attended the concerts as the guests. Jack Wall
Jack Wall (composer)
Jack Wall is an American video game music composer. He has worked on video game music for over 20 games including the Myst franchise, Splinter Cell, Jade Empire, and Mass Effect...
, the former conductor/musical director of Video Games Live
Video Games Live
Video Games Live is a concert series created and produced by industry veterans and video game composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall. The concerts consist of segments of video game music performed by a live orchestra with video footage and synchronized lighting and effects, as well as several...
conducted his own composition from the massive game franchise, Myst
Myst
Myst is a graphic adventure video game designed and directed by the brothers Robyn and Rand Miller. It was developed by Cyan , a Spokane, Washington––based studio, and published and distributed by Brøderbund. The Millers began working on Myst in and released it for the Mac OS computer on September...
as well as Advent Rising
Advent Rising
Advent Rising is a third-person, science fiction action-adventure video game. It was developed by GlyphX Games and published by Majesco. The game was released on May 31, 2005 for Xbox and on August 9, 2005 for Microsoft Windows. The story of this game was created by Donald Mustard, and featured a...
by his former colleague Tommy Tallarico
Tommy Tallarico
Tommy Tallarico is an American video game music composer and musician. He is best known as the co-creator of the concert series Video Games Live...
. One of the composers from the God of War series, Gerard K. Marino, contributed his heavy metal arrangement of The End Begins (To Rock) from God of War 2. The orchestra also featured compositions from Brothers in Arms
Brothers in Arms (series)
Brothers in Arms is a video game series consisting of three main games and seven spin-off games.-Main series:Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30: Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is a first-person shooter video game created by Gearbox Software for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. It is...
by Dancun Watt and Ceaser IV by Keith Zizza
Keith Zizza
Keith Zizza is a video game soundtrack composer. He has worked as a composer and audio director for companies such as Electronic Arts, Impressions Games, Sierra Entertainment and Tilted Mill Entertainment. His discography includes more than 25 AAA game titles...
. Both are New England based game composers.
Independent Game Conference East 2009
This concert was hosted by Independent Game Conference East 2009 as its closing event and was held at Fenway Center in Boston, May 7, 2009. This concert featured the VGO chamber group for the first time in a very intimate acoustic setting.Anime Boston 2009
VGO was invited to Anime BostonAnime Boston
Anime Boston is an annual three-day anime fan convention held in the spring in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The convention features a number of events which include a masquerade, an anime music video contest, video programming rooms, an artists' alley and art show, karaoke, game shows,...
2009 as the opening act for the main musical guest, Kalafina
Kalafina
Kalafina is a Japanese band formed by composer Yuki Kajiura in 2007, mainly to perform theme songs for the anime Kara no Kyōkai. The band debuted in January 2008 with two original members from Yuki Kajiura's FictionJunction project, Wakana Ōtaki and Keiko Kubota...
and Yuki Kajiura
Yuki Kajiura
, born August 6, 1965 in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese composer and music producer. She has provided the music for several popular anime series, such as one of the Kimagure Orange Road movies, Noir, .hack//SIGN, Aquarian Age, Madlax, My-HiME, My-Otome, .hack//Roots, Pandora Hearts, Puella Magi...
. The concert was held at Hynes Convention Center
Hynes Convention Center
The John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center located in Boston was built in 1988 from a design by architects Kallmann, McKinnell & Wood. It replaced a previous building, also a convention center, regarded as "ungainly." The 1988 design "attempted to relate in scale and materials to its...
Auditorium on May 23, 2009. VGO featured its chamber group along with its rock band. To honor the presence of Yuki Kajiura, for the first time they included an Anime song from Tsubasa Chronicle that Kajiura composed in their set list. VGO's performance was highly acclaimed and eventually Anime Boston brought them back to the stage again in 2010.
"Music for Video Games 2009"
VGO had a special appearance at the end of the Music for Video Games workshop at Berklee College of Music. Norihiko HibinoNorihiko Hibino
is a Japanese video game composer and saxophonist.-Biography:After graduating from Berklee College of Music, he moved to Kansas City to start a career as a solo jazz musician...
, a composer from the Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
franchise, attended the concert.
~Awakening~
The concert entitled ~Awakening~ was a return of VGO full group, which was absent for 9 months, to Berklee Performance Center. The concert took a place on December 5, 2009 and this time the group featured an accomplished film/game composer, Wataru Hokoyama.PAX East 2010
During PAXPenny Arcade Expo
The Penny Arcade Expo is a semi-annual gamer festival held in Seattle and Boston. PAX was created by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, the authors of the Penny Arcade webcomic, because they wanted to attend a show that gave equal attention to console gamers, computer gamers, and tabletop...
East 2010 at Hynes Convention Center in March 2010, VGO was featured as one of seven musical guests.
Anime Boston 2010
VGO returned for Anime Boston 2010 at Hynes Convention Center on April 2, 2010, this time with its full group unlike the previous year. The convention guest of honor, Nobuo UematsuNobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
, had a surprise appearance on One Winged Angel during the encore.