Game Music Festival London is set to feature a big-band ensemble playing the jazz age soundtrack of legendary run-and-gun title, Cuphead, followed by a symphonic concert featuring music from Ori and the Will of the Wisps, as well as Ori and the Blind Forest – all performed live at London’s Royal Festival Hall!
As well as the performances, an educational programme will also take place on the first day of the festival, while the second day will be dedicated to live concerts. The three previous editions of the Game Music Festival have been praised by fans worldwide, attracting an audience of over 12,000 on-site guests in total. The whole initiative is organised by the Game Music Foundation with tickets now available at gmfest.com.
“The Jazz of Cuphead” will start the performances with music from the unmistakeably stylish title interpreted by a seasoned big band. Full of the early styles of jazz mixed with ragtime music, Cuphead swiftly transports the listener to a world inspired by Duke Ellington and Count Basie, but always with a twist. Cuphead has won a well-deserved BAFTA Games Award for Best Music with composer, Kristofer Maddigan joining the audience to see his score brought to life by the Bartosz Pernal Orchestra.
Lauded by critics and millions of fans worldwide upon release, Ori and the Will of the Wisps features an unforgettable score by multi-BAFTA nominated and Ivor Novello winning composer, Gareth Coker. Entitled “The Symphony Of The Spirits” and performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Hertfordshire Chorus who recorded the game soundtrack originally, the second concert of the day will take the audience on a journey through Ori’s world as never before.
On Saturday the 5th March, the GMF 2022 educational programme will host masterclass workshops and other sessions, where participants will be able to see behind the scenes learning how audio is created for games, improve their skills and learn many tips and tricks from sound designers and the composers themselves.
Full details of the educational programme will be unveiled soon. These sessions will be a unique opportunity to have a closer look into the world of music and sound in contemporary video games, a fantastic opportunity for anyone who plans to build a career composing or designing sound in games.
“This time the festival will be held in London, but apart from changing the venue, our approach remains consistent: we aspire to maintain high artistic quality which has become the hallmark of GMF,” commented Marta and Mateusz Pawlak, organisers of GMF London.
“As with previous editions, we extract the musical essence of selected games to present them in a way that will satisfy not only the fan community but also music lovers in general. Besides the two big concerts, we also invite you to the educational programme which will once again be a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience for audio professionals. We hope that both our regular audience as well as newcomers will be pleased with the end result at London's Southbank Centre.” For the latest updates, be sure to follow the event’s Facebook page.”
Ticket prices start from £25.00 GBP per concert and rise according to seat location. Strictly limited VIP vouchers are also available – they include the best seats, as well as meetings with all composers that will appear at the festival (in person or online). All tickets are being sold via gmfest.com.
The Royal Festival Hall is a truly impressive artistic venue located within Southbank Centre in London. With a history of over 70 years of hosting prominent musicians, it stands among the world’s leading concert halls. The stunning interior design of the Royal Festival Hall is matched only by its crystal clear acoustics. The concert space itself is renowned worldwide for its crisp sound.
The Symphony of the Spirits will be performed by the famous Philharmonia Orchestra and Hertfordshire Chorus – they shall take the audience on a journey through Ori’s world as never before. Woodwind soloist Kristin Naigus is along for the ride: she performed all of Ori’s specialist woodwinds in the original soundtrack.
The Jazz of Cuphead will be played by the Bartosz Pernal Orchestra, a true highlight among contemporary European big bands. They are given the honour of interpreting these pieces on stage, and they are up to the challenge, having previously performed The Jazz of Grim Fandango – another tribute to a famous game soundtrack.