Video games in concert

The music composed for video games has come a long way. Once limited to simple tunes generated by early synthesizer chips, it now encompasses complex musical works composed for full orchestra.

Video game music is now also considered a key access point to orchestral music among young people, and concert venues around the world are seeing new and diverse audiences attend live performances of gaming soundtracks.

This could a development the classical music world is looking to embrace - although it wasn't loved at first. A study by League of of American Orchestras suggests audiences for concerts have dropped by 26% since 2020, with young people being the minority group of attendees.

In this episode, we'll hear about the origins of music written for video games; speaking to composers and orchestras who are embracing new audiences and exciting musical works. And we'll go backstage before opening night of a concert tour showcasing music from a major video game franchise.

(Image: Gaming Prom – From 8-Bit to Infinity, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Robert Ames, in the Royal Albert Hall, on 1 August 2022, as part of the BBC Proms.)

Presented and produced by Sean Allsop