MONTREAL – The Orchestre Métropolitain, in collaboration with Alliance numérique, will present, in November 2017, the Montreal Video Game Symphony as part of Montreal’s 375th anniversary celebrations. The work will take the form of a multimedia show in which the orchestra’s musicians will play music from landmark video games developed in Montreal.
Beginning today, Montreal video game companies are invited to submit the sound tracks from any of their games they would like to see included in the concert program. The final selection will be announced this fall.
“The Orchestre Métropolitain is proud to perform this major multimedia event that reflects the vitality of Montreal’svideo game industry,” said Jean Dupré, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Orchestre Métropolitain. “For us, it is an opportunity to break down walls between art forms and present symphonic music in a new and highly stimulating context. That the Orchestre will also be spotlighting the creative talent of the video game companies that are an integral part of the identity of the city of Montreal only increases our pleasure.”
The event will also have an interactive component: in synchrony with the orchestra, video game sequences will be projected on a big screen. At various points, individual members of the audience will be invited to come play a video game live on stage, adding a spontaneous dimension to the concert. Their performances will be projected on the big screen and simultaneously accompanied by the orchestra.
“Alliance numérique is pleased to support the Montreal Video Game Symphony project,” said Catherine Émond, Director General of Alliance numérique, which represents Quebec’s video game studios. “We are enthusiastic about the success of this spectacular initiative as part of Montreal’s 375th anniversary celebrations and encourage video game companies to take part by submitting their music. The project will provide great visibility for the know-how and creativity that are key to creating high-quality video games and that have made our industry famous.”
The concert will be conducted by Dina Gilbert and will begin with an original work by video game composer Maxime Goulet, the initiator of the project. Composed specially and exclusively for the concert, this work will provide the musical theme for the Montreal Video Game Symphony.
To guide those attending from game to game, a master of ceremonies will interact with the audience and draw links between the various pieces played by the orchestra, describing the characteristics sought by the composers of the original pieces in the context of the projected game experience.
The Montreal Video Game Symphony offers video game companies with a studio in Montreal the opportunity to take part in this one-of-a-kind event by submitting game music for inclusion in the concert program. To do so, companies are encouraged to fill out the form on the Montreal Video Game Symphony website.
“This original and exclusive show is a striking example of the programming for Montreal’s 375th anniversary,” saidAlain Gignac, General Manager of the Society for the Celebration of Montréal’s 375th Anniversary. “The city’s vitality will be celebrated through this melding of the power of a symphony orchestra with the immersive, interactive universe of video games. A memorable evening not to be missed,”
“Now this is the spirit of Montreal’s 375th anniversary,” enthused Montreal mayor Denis Coderre. “What a surprising and interesting initiative between the Orchestre Métropolitain and Alliance numérique! Montreal’s video game companies are once again demonstrating their willingness to open their doors to citizens as well as their creative prowess and attachment to the city.”
“The Quebec government is proud to support the Montreal Video Game Symphony,” explained Martin Coiteux, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy, Minister of Public Security and Minister Responsible for the Montreal Region. “By conceiving of this unique interactive concert, the Orchestre Métropolitain has confirmed thatMontreal developers are able to innovate and to promote local musicians and creative artists. This special event will only add to our city’s reputation as a world leader in the multimedia industry.”
About the Orchestre Métropolitain
With a majority of its musicians born and trained in Quebec, the Orchestre Métropolitain is a world-class, non-profit organization dedicated to bringing classical music from here and abroad to all parts of the metropolitanMontreal community and its various cultural organizations. Since Yannick Nézet-Séguin became its Artistic Director in 2000, the Orchestre Métropolitain’s reputation has continued to grow and expand in Montreal, inQuebec, in Canada and abroad.
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