GMF returned to both London and Wroclaw in 2024 – with two different genres, two distinct styles, and two unique events!
THE SOUNDS OF THE FIREFLIES – Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London and Wroclaw’s National Forum of Music once again reverberated with music from universally acclaimed video games. BAFTA-nominated original scores of The Last of Us parts I & II took the stage, inviting the audience to a journey through the austere soundscapes of post-apocalyptic USA.
THE SYMPHONY OF THE REALMS – After a short rest, the magical harmonies of Faerûn beckoned the listeners to continue the musical adventure. The Philharmonia Orchestra, joined by Hertfordshire Chorus, performed the mesmerising music from Baldur’s Gate 3, the most recent entry to the legendary role-playing game franchise.
For the first time ever, the BAFTA-nominated soundtracks of The Last of Us Part I & II are to be presented in such unique arrangements! Performed by the amazing Philharmonia Orchestra in London, and the outstanding NFM Philharmonic in Wroclaw, both joined by the Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaollala, this performance is set to captivate hearts and minds in a true torrent of emotions.
With dozens of awards, over 17 million copies sold, and TV adaptation being HBO Max’s most-watched project in history, both parts of Naughty Dog studio’s masterpiece left a strong imprint in hearts of gamers all over the world.
Setting new standards in mature, emotional storytelling, The Last of Us follows a narrative of two characters – Joel and Ellie. Venturing through post-apocalyptic, desolated cities, they need to face not only harsh environments and mutated creatures, but also the sheer realization that sometimes the most dangerous monsters are… other people.
Virtuosic guitar skills of Gustavo Santaollala, paired with his minimalistic approach, deliver a soundtrack that adds depth to each scene, perfectly resonating with the emotional landscape of the game. Brief moments of respite are adorned by austere compositions and ambient melancholic sounds, only to be followed by aggressive drums and industrial tones during many dreadful, deadly encounters.
Music holds great power not only in Dungeons & Dragons, so join us for a night of magic, as Baldur’s Gate 3 score has its fully-fledged live symphonic premiere! Allow yourself to be charmed by this performance by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Hertfordshire Chorus, as they take you on an unforgettable musical journey through the Forgotten Realms.
Beautifully crafted reactive environments, a great cast of characters, engrossing story, and unparalleled freedom of choice, combined with the enthralling score – all this contributed to the staggering success of Larian Studios’ most recent addition to the legendary saga.
The soundtrack, composed by Borislav Slavov, is a multi-faceted melodic prism, encompassing a variety of musical possibilities within itself. Beguiling vocal fragments and ethereal melodies are intertwined with epic battle themes and choral sections, creating a diverse weave of sounds, fit for a world on the brink of change.
Maestro Marek Wroniszewski, a long-time associate of Game Music Festival, will be conducting both concerts. He is no stranger to the music of video games. With almost 170 artists on stage, this performance will be an experience you absolutely would not want to miss!
Game Music Festival consists of more than concerts featuring the music of video games; it also involves multiple educational and informative events, sessions, and meetings with composers, industry leaders, and experts. During masterclass workshops, participants will be able to ‘see backstage’, discover something about how audio is being created for games, improve their various competencies, and learn many new tips and tricks to better create and analyse game music.
In parallel to the festival’s concerts, meetings and discussions will be held with several game audio professionals, including masterclass workshops conducted by composers.
Those sessions will be a unique opportunity to have closer look into the world of music and sounds of contemporary video games. This will be hugely beneficial for everyone who plans to build a career in composing or designing sound.
4 MAY 2024
Over 17 million copies sold, and TV adaptation being HBO Max’s most-watched project in history, both parts of Naughty Dog’s masterpiece left a strong imprint in hearts of gamers all over the world. BAFTA-nominated original scores composed by Oscar-winning guitar virtuoso Gustavo Santaolalla perfectly resonate with the emotional landscape of the game.
Game Music Festival consists of more than concerts featuring the music of video games; it also involves multiple educational and informative events, sessions, and meetings with composers, industry leaders, and experts. During masterclass workshops, participants will be able to ‘see backstage’, discover something about how audio is being created for games, improve their various competencies, and learn many new tips and tricks to better create and analyse game music.
Those sessions will be a unique opportunity to have closer look into the world of music and sounds of contemporary video games. This will be hugely beneficial for everyone who plans to build a career in composing or designing sound.
4 MAY 2024
A beautifully crafted world, great cast of characters, engrossing story, and freedom of choice accompanied by Borislav Slavov’s mesmerising music undoubtedly contributed to the staggering success of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Game Music Festival consists of more than concerts featuring the music of video games; it also involves multiple educational and informative events, sessions, and meetings with composers, industry leaders, and experts. During masterclass workshops, participants will be able to ‘see backstage’, discover something about how audio is being created for games, improve their various competencies, and learn many new tips and tricks to better create and analyse game music.
Those sessions will be a unique opportunity to have closer look into the world of music and sounds of contemporary video games. This will be hugely beneficial for everyone who plans to build a career in composing or designing sound.
If you read this in the voice of Amelia Tyler, you are a true Baldur’s Gate 3 fan! So are we, that’s why we couldn’t imagine anyone other than our beloved Narrator hosting The Symphony of the Realms concert!
Music holds great power not only in Dungeons & Dragons, so join us for a night of magic, as Baldur’s Gate 3 score has its fully-fledged live symphonic premiere! Allow yourself to be charmed by this performance by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Hertfordshire Chorus, as they take you on an unforgettable musical journey through the Forgotten Realms.
Beautifully crafted reactive environments, a great cast of characters, engrossing story, and unparalleled freedom of choice, combined with the enthralling score – all this contributed to the staggering success of Larian Studios’ most recent addition to the legendary saga.
The soundtrack, composed by Borislav Slavov, is a multi-faceted melodic prism, encompassing a variety of musical possibilities within itself. Beguiling vocal fragments and ethereal melodies are intertwined with epic battle themes and choral sections, creating a diverse weave of sounds, fit for a world on the brink of change.
Meet the composers, performers, hosts, and other guests who will honour GMF with their presence on-site during the event! This will be a one-of-a-kind opportunity for all game music enthusiasts.
Composer | Guitar Virtuoso
Composer | Audio Director
Conductor
Vocalist | Soprano
Vocalist | Soprano
Instrumentalist
Host | Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Panel Host | Composer
Panel Host | BAFTA Games
Founder | Black Screen Records
Senior staff writer | NME
Composer | Asian Pirate Musical
Meet the amazing artists who will take the stage during this year’s GMF concerts!
The Orchestra is made up of 80 outstanding musicians of 17 different nationalities, each giving their all to contribute to the renowned Philharmonia sound. The Philharmonia is the go-to orchestra for many film and video game composers in the UK and Hollywood, and its music-making has been experienced by millions of cinema-goers and gamers.
Gustavo Santaolalla is an Argentinian film and game composer for over 23 years. Amongst other awards he received consecutive Oscars in 2006 for “Brokeback Mountain” and in 2007 for “Babel,” making him the third composer in history to achieve this feat. His first game soundtracks, The Last of Us Part I & II, were nominated for BAFTA awards.
Hertfordshire Chorus is known for commissioning new music, high-quality yet passionate singing, tackling difficult, rarely performed music as well as much-loved and well-known pieces and is one of the UK’s finest symphonic choirs. Under the musical direction of David Temple MBE, the members give their all to singing, believing in the sheer joy and power of music to bring people closer together.
Juan Luqui is an Argentine composer, artist, pro- ducer, and multi-instrumentalist. Over the past decade, he has been a valued collaborator of Gustavo Santaolalla, contributing to the compo- sition of iconic scores for projects such as The Last of Us (HBO) and Wildlife (Nat Geo), among many others. His contributions extend beyond composing, and include writing orchestrations or performing alongside elite ensembles worldwide.
Mariya Anastasova is a Bulgarian classical singer and musical theatre actress. She works as a vocalist for cinema and video games, alon- gside performing in various opera and musical theaters. Her notable projects include portraying Morticia Addams in the musical The Addams Family and Frasquita in the opera Carmen.
For video game fans, she is one of the lead vocalists in Baldur’s Gate 3, where she perfor- med memorable songs such as Down by the River, Song of Balduran, or Raphael’s Final Act.
Ilona Ivanova is a multi-talented Bulgarian singer and dancer, as well as opera and musical theater performer. Her recent roles include Betty Scha- efer from the Sunset Boulevard musical, Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof, Countess Stasi in the operet- ta The Csardas Princess, as well as dubbing voice in Mary Poppins Returns and Pocahontas.
Game music fans may recognize her beautiful voice as one of the lead singers for Baldur’s Gate 3, where we can hear her performing tracks such as Weeping Dawn, I Want to Live, or The Power.
ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL
Stunning interior design of the Royal Festival Hall is matched only by its sheer acoustics. The concert space itself is famous worldwide for a crisp and delightful sound.
There are 2700 seats in the concert hall, each providing outstanding capabilities for the audience both in terms of stage visibility and the natural quality of sound.
Southbank Centre is the largest centre for the arts in Europe. It is a spectacular complex of venues which forms the heart of cultural life in London and beyond.
