Click the sections below to discover the previous Game Music Festivals!
An opus that payed homage to four amazing games: Transistor, Hades, Pyre, Bastion. Each of them has earned a special spot in the hearts of gamers also thanks to the awesome music by Darren Korb whose eclectic style is their common denominator. Those diverse soundtracks were presented live in surprising arrangements by the Sound Factory Orchestra, conducted by Robert Kurdybacha, who had delivered incredible performances during previous GMFs. That time they took listeners on a journey across the visionary worlds by Supergiant Games.
A true delight for all RPG enthusiasts. Fans heard the world live premiere of music from Baldur’s Gate III, the continuation of cult classic games set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Furthermore, the other main ingredient of that event was the soundtrack of Divinity: Original Sin II – the critically acclaimed flagship title by Larian Studios. Both of these were composed by Borislav Slavov, and were performed live by the seasoned NFM Philharmonic.
The first concert of this year’s Game Music Festival – The Symphony of the Desert – was based on the idea of contrast between three incredibly atmospheric titles: Journey, Abzu, The Banner Saga. The former two soundtracks are subtle and have an ethereal beauty, while the third one is full of piercing cold and raw in its form.
The author of those pieces, which adds lots of value to their respective games, is the acclaimed American composer Austin Wintory who personally conducted Sound Factory Orchestra, an ensemble that played the amazing concert with the music from Ori and the Blind Forest during the first GMF. Together, they took the listeners on a journey through endless deserts, vast sea depths, and snowy mountains.
The Symphony of the Colossus, being the second concert of this year’s Festival, was dedicated to the music of three timeless games: ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian. Players remember these titles not only because of the bond with their protagonists and a minimalist narrative but also thanks to their soundtracks full of monumental yet delicate melodies. The productions by Fumito Ueda (who is the game designer of all three) always present a profoundly emotional story. The Symphony of the Colossus reflected this approach by merging the creations of Japanese composers such as Michiru Oshima, Kow Otani, Takeshi Furukawa.
The Symphony of the Shadows was the grand finale of Game Music Festival 2019. It was a synthesis of music accompanying two stealthy assassins, as well as an homage to the audio design of their missions – Ezio Auditore from Assassin’s Creed II together with Agent 47 from the Hitman series. The music to both amazing games was composed by Jesper Kyd. These two powerful suites were performed live by over 120 musicians in total, the NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra with a choir. That year marked the 10th anniversary of the release of Assassin’s Creed II and the 20th of the first Hitman title. This concert let the audience discover the themes anew and appreciate all the musical details without a hurry.
The Symphony of Heroes was an elaborate work of art. After nearly two decades, the score brought to life the music form the second, third and fourth installment of Heroes of Might and Magic series in the form of brand new arrangements. Three extensive symphonic suites were performed live by the full NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra, eighty musicians total.
The thrilling soundtrack from Grim Fandango took the audience into the world of New Orleans’ jazz right from its first bars. Rhythmic percussion, a steady jerk of bass strings, some offensive piano accents, and wonderfully sounding woodwinds. A timeless classic! This performance was a pure jazz feast. The best jazz-men of the Bartosz Pernal Big Band took the audience back to twenties – with a twist.
What would you say if you had to describe Ori and the Blind Forest using a single word? Beautiful. It’s just a delicate and sophisticated magic. This effect was achieved by developers not only thanks to top-notch graphical design. The soul of this game is its music. This extremely emotional score was presented during the Symphony of the Forest concert.
Consisting of three powerful suites, The Symphony of The Storm was a musical journey through three game series. The first suite took the audience into the world of the Diablo franchise. The second suite was inspired by music from the World of Warcraft and its expansions. The third suite was based on the music from the StarCraft series. This monumental piece of art was performed by the NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra and NFM Choir, 120 musicians in total.