dDid you know that soundtrack concerts are the most popular orchestra tours? A third of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s first-time audiences have come to the concert hall through their favorite series, films, and video games. It is a huge cultural growth field and may not be recognized by the public.
“Now it’s impossible to ignore video game music,” says Tommy Pearson, founder and artistic director of London’s first soundtrack festival. “The creativity and artistry of the game are incredible and it’s fascinating to see many composers blossom in the genre.”
As one of the lead architects behind the festival, Pearson was keen to create space for video games as part of the celebration, not just as an “add-on” to television and film soundtracks, but also as an equality in art forms. “When we first thought about what we would do at a festival, including that music in the game isn’t easy, it must be there absolutely, along with film and television music. It has an audience of very dedicated fans, and the music is as good as what is written in any genre.”
The festival from March 19th to 26th will consist of live performances, panel discussions, screenings, Q&AS and masterclasses. One of the important events The cutting edgea composer who won a Grammy and Iver Novello Award for his work in Video Game Music by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Masterclasses of Stephen Burton and Gordie Herbs, and a work in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Why is 2025 the best time for the first soundtrack festival in London? “We watch millions of streams of game soundtracks every day,” Burton says. “Instagram and Tiktok have a huge amount of social media content, not to mention the world of Twitch where streamer playlists are a big part of their identity. The record industry is keeping up with this.”
“You can see streaming numbers climbing in real time, but you can feel it anywhere, beyond the data,” adds Haab. “Game music is not limited to consoles anymore. It is woven into everyday life. For example, my nie and ne have purely rotated gaming soundtracks for pure fun. At game events, I know notes on these themes. I stand on my own as film music, as legitimate art forms.
Composers Rudig Forsell (Stronging of Death), Harry Gregson Williams (Metal Gear Solid), Stephanie Economy (Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok), and Borislavslavov (Gate 3 of Bardur) are all part of a panel discussing game music before participating in the evening performance.
“It’ll be hard to find someone who can’t sing a song from Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy, Hello, or The Legend of Zelda,” says Econow. “Video game music is common because video games are common. The industry itself is more profitable than the combined film, television, and music industries, so when people think that popularity is suddenly rising, all I can think of is getting more recognition and celebrations in the sphere that has finally been released.
“The London Soundtrack Festival is a great opportunity to celebrate the differences and diversity of media music,” adds Forssell. “Video games may still be Brock’s new kids, but in a way they will definitely stay here. And as composers, we hope that we will always have a unique approach to music in general, including movies, TV, video games, pop, rock, music.”
Pearson and the team of composers he framed are watching the event as a celebration of the state of video game music. “These are all amazing, highly respected composers who have produced amazing, exciting scores that have been extremely successful in the games and concert halls,” says Pearson.
Can non-game audiences accept video game music as much as television or movies?
“It’s always going to be a bit silly when it comes to media music,” Pearson says. “But it isn’t as close as it used to be.
Source: www.theguardian.com
