Canadian Orchestre Métropolitain 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.
The orchestra has invited Montreal video game companies 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’s video 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.
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.