The dulcimer sounds of Wolf Trap’s PLAY! A Video Game Symphony echoed through the amphitheater and across the rolling hills of the venue to loud cheers not usually heard from classical music fans. The annual performance of music from games like Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, HALO Reach and World of Warcraft was a beautiful look into the unforgettable theme music from the last 25 years. The July 8th performance drew a dedicated and unique crowd that nearly filled the seats and spilled onto a packed lawn.
Conductor Andy Brick took us on a whirlwind ride through some of history’s greatest video game scores – and nailed each and every pivotal song from the eleven games brought to life. With precision and grace, Brick navigated each and every musical element of fan boy tunes from past and present, earning a well deserved standing ovation. Stunning video game graphics and special visuals accompanied the orchestra’s flawless performance, and audience members fought for the closest lawn seats to the screen.
The chorus, prepared by Daniel Ozment, lent their voices to the unique vocals each video game was known for. The flawless choir nearly drowned out the orchestra with their powerful pipes and were a fitting addition to the performance. Without the choir, significant songs wouldn’t have been as emotional, and certainly wouldn’t have pleased the audience. Ozment truly is a master of the choir and his singers proved it.
PLAY! A Video Game Symphony performs all over the world and more information about concert sates and tickets can be found on their website. Wolf Trap’s summer performances continue here.
