Cue the music - Eminence Symphony Orchestra set to bring the fantasy worlds of electronic games to life
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Eminence Symphony Orchestra will use the power of music to transport audiences into the fantasy worlds of popular electronic games during three 'A Night in Fantasia 2007 - Symphonic Games Edition' concerts to be held in Sydney and Melbourne in late April 2007.
Despite the common misconceptions of many, electronic gaming is not just about consoles and couches; it's about creativity - the creativity of images, characters, actions, game play and music.
In fact, this burgeoning global industry currently contributes some A$852 million to the Australian economy and Australians spend $2.3million per day on interactive games. Not surprisingly, the creation of the musical scores for electronic games is a significant, credible industry in its own right.
Unlike previous 'fantasia' themed concerts, the three concerts in the 'A Night in Fantasia 2007 - Symphonic Games Edition' series - two in Sydney and one in Melbourne - will 'bring to life' the musical scores from the latest and greatest computer games, including World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, Super Mario Brothers, Kingdom Hearts series, Metal Gear Solid series, Final Fantasy series, Shadow of the Colossus, Tales of Legendia, Xenosaga, Chrono Cross, Soulcalibur series, Tekken series and many, many more.
The 60 piece Eminence Symphony Orchestra will be accompanied by a 30 piece choir and visually supported by live footage and memorable moments from some of the most popular videogames which will be projected onto a giant screen.
The concerts will also be attended by some of the most famous composers and orchestrators of the video game industry, including Yoko Shimoumura - composer of Kingdom Hearts series and Final Fantasy Versus XIII; Hitoshi Sakimoto - composer of Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics; Yasunori Mitsuda - composer of Chrono Trigger and Xenogeaers; Kow Otani - composer of Shadow of the Colossus and Haibane Renmai; Shiro Hamaguchi - orchestrator and arranger of the Final Fantasy series; Masaru Shiina - composer of Tales of Legendia, Tekken: Dark Resurrection and Ace Combat 3; and Junichi Nakatsuru - Composer of Soul Calibur series and Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.
The Eminence Symphony Orchestra will present another concert series, focusing solely on anime music, later in the year.
'A Night in Fantasia 2007 - Symphonic Games Edition' concert-goers will have the unique opportunity to meet with the composers of their favourite gaming musical scores as well as the chance to win great door prizes and purchase a wide range of Eminence's merchandise.
'A Night in Fantasia 2007 - Symphonic Games Edition' is The Eminence Symphony Orchestra's biggest and boldest concert to date and is a 'must see', 'must hear' event for gaming enthusiasts and lovers of music alike.
Transport yourself to another world experience A Night in Fantasia!
Sydney
Dates: Friday 20 & Saturday 21 April
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: The Sydney Town Hall
Bookings: via Books Kinokuniya
Melbourne
Date: Friday 27 April
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Hamer Hall, The Arts Centre
Bookings: via Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.au
Visit www.eminenceonline.com for more information.
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For media information, please contact:
Kerryn Nelson
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About Eminence Symphony Orchestra
Eminence Symphony Orchestra was established in 2003 by renowned violin virtuoso, Hiroaki Yura. Since then, Eminence has become known for their annual 'A Night in Fantasia' events, in addition to other concerts and recordings for games, anime and films.
Eminence Symphony Orchestra comprises 60 elite musicians under the conductorship of Philip Chu. Eminence's team of musicians have had experience with a large number of established Symphony Orchestras, such as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Queensland Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra and Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.
Many Eminence musicians have also performed as international soloists with major orchestras around the world, including the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, all major Chinese Eastern Coast Orchestras, all major Australian Orchestras and major USA Orchestras.
Eminence aims to revitalise the current state of Australian orchestras and achieve a following across all demographics, encouraging a wider appreciation of symphonic music in Australia. Eminence is the most experienced orchestra in the world dedicated to gaming and anime music.
What sets the Eminence Symphony Orchestra apart from others?
Classical music should not be left to languish in dusty corners or to be appreciated only by an older demographic. It needs to find a new face and be aggressively showcased into expanded genres in order to capture a larger audience.
Eminence wants to challenge the 'image' of orchestral music, by aligning it with the things that are more familiar to younger audiences, such as computer games. Eminence's musicians want young people to really 'hear' orchestral music, to believe in the strength of music and connect with it.
This is the Silverchair of Classical!