PLAY! A Video Game Symphony is coming to Raleigh this weekend!

What? An orchestra playing a concert of music from a wide variety of video games? That's exactly what PLAY! A Video Game Symphony is.

And it's coming to the Raleigh/Durham/Cary area this Saturday, July 11th, courtesy of the North Carolina Symphony and the Concert Singers of Cary. The performance will be at the Koka Booth Amphitheater.

Here's the e-mail that I received this afternoon from Lauren Trojan:

Hi Chris,

I read your recent post about the “Unknown Lifeform in North Carolina Sewer,” and thought you might be interested in another never-before-seen event in Raleigh. For the first time, Play! A Video Game Symphony will be presented by the North Carolina Symphony at Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 11, 2009. Since this is a non-traditional Symphony concert and would be of interest to your blog following, I hope you will consider mentioning the event on your blog.

PLAY! is a symphony world-tour showcasing tunes from classic video games such as Super Mario Bros. and Sonic The Hedgehog, as well as new favorites Halo, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and SimCity 4. Andy Brick, PLAY! associate conductor and award-winning film and video game composer, will lead the Symphony and the Concert Singers of Cary as an array of video game graphics are projected onto video screens above the orchestra.

Below, I’ve included links to the PLAY! Web site and North Carolina Symphony Web page for the event, as well as the concert media alert, which has some great general information in one doc. Please let me know if you have any questions, or if you are interested in more information about the concert. Thanks Chris!

PLAY! A Video Game Symphony
North Carolina Symphony

Best,

Lauren Trojan

Look! Press release!

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

North Carolina Symphony to Perform Award-Winning Video Game Tunes at Summerfest Concert Series

Koka Booth Amphitheatre to be filled with sights and sounds of blockbuster video games

WHAT: The North Carolina Symphony presents PLAY! A Video Game Symphony, a concert showcasing the sights and sounds of new and classic video games. Accompanied by the Concert Singers of Cary Chamber Choir, the Symphony will play music from a catalogue of blockbuster video game titles, as memorable scenes are projected onto large video screens above the orchestra.

For the first time, PLAY! will feature music from SimCity 4 and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Guest conductor Andy Brick, SimCity 4 composer, will also lead the Symphony through the music of other popular video games including, Final Fantasy, Super Mario Bros., Sonic The Hedgehog, The Legend of Zelda, Halo and World of Warcraft.

Exclusive to the North Carolina Symphony’s presentation of PLAY!, world-famous guitarist Carlos Alomar will accompany the orchestra for songs from Silent Hill and Chrono Suite. Alomar, a pioneer in the field of guitar synthesizers, has worked with a number of famous musicians including, David Bowie, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen

WHO: Scott Freck, vice president of artistic operations, North Carolina Symphony, Andy Brick, associate conductor, PLAY! A Video Game Symphony, Jason Paul, producer, PLAY! A Video Game Symphony

WHEN: Saturday, July 11, 2009

6:00 p.m. – Gates open at Koka Booth Amphitheatre
7:00 p.m. – Instrument Petting Zoo for kids begins
8:30 p.m. – Concert begins

WHERE: Koka Booth Amphitheatre at
Regency Park
8003 Regency Parkway
Cary, N.C. 27518

OPPORTUNITIES: Media is invited to attend the concert and enjoy the experience with local families and video game enthusiasts. Media is also invited to attend the rehearsal on Friday evening at 8:30 p.m. Interview opportunities are listed below:

Scott Freck: Available Wednesday, July 8 – Saturday, July 11.
Andy Brick: Available Thursday, July 9 between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and Friday, July 10 during the morning.
Jason Paul: Available Friday, July 10 – Saturday, July 11.

CONTACT: Stephanie Slipher, 704-556-2626, stephanie.slipher@fleishman.com

WEBSITE: For more information on the North Carolina Symphony’s presentation of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony and other Summerfest Series concerts, please visit Summerfest 2009.

Sounds like a heck of a show!! I'm definitely planning on attending :-)

Categories: art, cary, music, north carolina, play a video game symphony, raleigh, video games