game music tours

APRIL-MAY 2024 • LONDON • WROCLAW GAME MUSIC FESTIVAL 2024

The last of us - wroclaw, final fantasy - wroclaw, the last of us - london, baldur's gate 3 - london, game music festival 2024.

GMF returns to London and Wroclaw – two different genres, two distinct styles, two unique events!

This Spring, Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London and Wroclaw’s National Forum of Music shall once again reverberate with music from universally acclaimed video games. BAFTA-nominated original scores of The Last of Us parts I & II will take the stage, inviting the audience to a journey through the austere soundscapes of post-apocalyptic USA.

After a short rest, the magical harmonies of Faerûn will beckon the listeners to continue the musical adventure. The Philharmonia Orchestra, joined by Hertfordshire Chorus, shall perform the mesmerising music from Baldur’s Gate 3 , the most recent entry to the legendary role-playing game franchise.

So, gather your party, as great adventures await… just one click away.

THE SOUNDS OF THE FIREFLIES Featuring music from The Last of Us

• Wroclaw concert: 28 April 2024, 19:00 BUY TICKETS
• London concert: 4 May 2024, 13:00 TICKETS SOLD OUT
• Top-priced tickets include premium seating for the performance, and admission to the Gustavo Santaolalla masterclass session

For the first time ever, the BAFTA-nominated soundtracks of The Last of Us Part I & II are to be presented in such unique arrangements! Performed by the amazing Philharmonia Orchestra in London, and the outstanding NFM Philharmonic in Wroclaw, both joined by the Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaollala, this performance is set to captivate hearts and minds in a true torrent of emotions.

With dozens of awards, over 17 million copies sold, and TV adaptation being HBO Max’s most-watched project in history, both parts of Naughty Dog studio’s masterpiece left a strong imprint in hearts of gamers all over the world.

Setting new standards in mature, emotional storytelling, The Last of Us follows a narrative of two characters – Joel and Ellie. Venturing through post-apocalyptic, desolated cities, they need to face not only harsh environments and mutated creatures, but also the sheer realization that sometimes the most dangerous monsters are… other people.

Virtuosic guitar skills of Gustavo Santaollala, paired with his minimalistic approach, deliver a soundtrack that adds depth to each scene, perfectly resonating with the emotional landscape of the game. Brief moments of respite are adorned by austere compositions and ambient melancholic sounds, only to be followed by aggressive drums and industrial tones during many dreadful, deadly encounters.

THE SYMPHONY OF THE REALMS Featuring music from Baldur's Gate 3

• London concert: 4 May 2024, 19:00 TICKETS SOLD OUT
• Top-priced tickets include premium seating for the performance, and admission to the Borislav Slavov masterclass session

Music holds great power not only in Dungeons & Dragons, so join us for a night of magic, as Baldur’s Gate 3 score has its fully-fledged live symphonic premiere! Allow yourself to be charmed by this performance by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Hertfordshire Chorus, as they take you on an unforgettable musical journey through the Forgotten Realms.

Beautifully crafted reactive environments, a great cast of characters, engrossing story, and unparalleled freedom of choice, combined with the enthralling score – all this contributed to the staggering success of Larian Studios’ most recent addition to the legendary saga.

The soundtrack, composed by Borislav Slavov, is a multi-faceted melodic prism, encompassing a variety of musical possibilities within itself. Beguiling vocal fragments and ethereal melodies are intertwined with epic battle themes and choral sections, creating a diverse weave of sounds, fit for a world on the brink of change.

Maestro Robert Kurdybacha, a long-time associate of Game Music Festival, will be conducting both concerts. He is no stranger to the music of video games, having written several fan-favourite symphonies for previous editions. With almost 170 artists on stage, this performance will be an experience you absolutely would not want to miss!

GMF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME

• Details TBA

Game Music Festival consists of more than concerts featuring the music of video games; it also involves multiple educational and informative events, sessions, and meetings with composers, industry leaders, and experts. During masterclass workshops, participants will be able to ‘see backstage’, discover something about how audio is being created for games, improve their various competencies, and learn many new tips and tricks to better create and analyse game music.

In parallel to the festival’s concerts, meetings and discussions will be held with several game audio professionals, including masterclass workshops conducted by composers.

Those sessions will be a unique opportunity to have closer look into the world of music and sounds of contemporary video games. This will be hugely beneficial for everyone who plans to build a career in composing or designing sound.

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Special guests.

Meet the composers, performers, hosts, and other guests who will honour GMF with their presence on-site during the event! This will be a one-of-a-kind opportunity for all game music enthusiasts.

GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA

Composer | Guitar Virtuoso

BORISLAV SLAVOV

Composer | Audio Director

Marek Wroniszewski

Mariya Anastasova

Vocalist | Soprano

Ilona Ivanova

Instrumentalist

Baldur's Gate 3 - The Art of Vinyl

Find out this and more in “The Art of Baldur’s Gate 3 vinyl” video with our artist Magdalena Katańska, who will share her artistic inspirations and visions that helped her breathe life into your favorite characters.

Game Music Festival returns to London in 2024!

The Game Music Festival returns to London’s Royal Festival Hall on 4th of May 2024 with two concerts featuring music from The Last of Us & Baldur’s Gate 3.

What is Game Music Festival?

We love music and we love video games; that’s why we created the Game Music Festival – Europe’s largest event devoted wholly to the music and sound of the gaming industry.

GAME MUSIC FESTIVAL VOL. 4

Let’s take a closer look at what happened during Game Music Festival vol. 4 which took place at the Royal Festival Hall in London on the 5-6th of March 2022.

GAME MUSIC FESTIVAL VOL. 3

Let’s take a look at what was happening in the National Forum of Music in 2020 – meetings with composers, discussions, masterclasses, special guests, concerts – and once again feel all these amazing emotions which were with us back then during GMF vol. 3.

THE SYMPHONY OF SIN - GMF VOL. 3

THE SYMPHONY OF FOUR WORLDS - GMF VOL. 3

GAME MUSIC FESTIVAL VOL. 2

GAME MUSIC FESTIVAL VOL. 1

The first Game Music Festival was both a dream come true, and a leap of faith for our team. Still, the positive feedback overwhelmed us – take a look at this ‘making of’ clip for a glimpse of what it was like in 2018.

OUR PARTNERS

THE PERFORMERS

Meet the amazing artists who will take the stage during this year’s GMF concerts!

PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA

The Orchestra is made up of 80 outstanding musicians of 17 different nationalities, each giving their all to contribute to the renowned Philharmonia sound. The Philharmonia is the go-to orchestra for many film and video game composers in the UK and Hollywood, and its music-making has been experienced by millions of cinema-goers and gamers.

Gustavo Santaolalla is an Argentinian film and game composer for over 23 years. Amongst other awards he received consecutive Oscars in 2006 for “Brokeback Mountain” and in 2007 for “Babel,” making him the third composer in history to achieve this feat. His first game soundtracks, The Last of Us Part I & II, were nominated for BAFTA awards.

HERTFORDSHIRE CHORUS

Hertfordshire Chorus is known for commissioning new music, high-quality yet passionate singing, tackling difficult, rarely performed music as well as much-loved and well-known pieces and is one of the UK’s finest symphonic choirs. Under the musical direction of David Temple MBE, the members give their all to singing, believing in the sheer joy and power of music to bring people closer together.

Juan Luqui is an Argentine composer, artist, pro- ducer, and multi-instrumentalist. Over the past decade, he has been a valued collaborator of Gustavo Santaolalla, contributing to the compo- sition of iconic scores for projects such as The Last of Us (HBO) and Wildlife (Nat Geo), among many others. His contributions extend beyond composing, and include writing orchestrations or performing alongside elite ensembles worldwide.

Mariya Anastasova is a Bulgarian classical singer and musical theatre actress. She works as a vocalist for cinema and video games, alon- gside performing in various opera and musical theaters. Her notable projects include portraying Morticia Addams in the musical The Addams Family and Frasquita in the opera Carmen .

For video game fans, she is one of the lead vocalists in Baldur’s Gate 3 , where she perfor- med memorable songs such as Down by the River , Song of Balduran , or Raphael’s Final Act .

Ilona Ivanova is a multi-talented Bulgarian singer and dancer, as well as opera and musical theater performer. Her recent roles include Betty Scha- efer from the Sunset Boulevard musical, Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof , Countess Stasi in the operet- ta The Csardas Princess , as well as dubbing voice in Mary Poppins Returns and Pocahontas .

Game music fans may recognize her beautiful voice as one of the lead singers for Baldur’s Gate 3 , where we can hear her performing tracks such as Weeping Dawn , I Want to Live , or The Power .

ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL

THE ACOUSTICS

Stunning interior design of the Royal Festival Hall is matched only by its sheer acoustics. The concert space itself is famous worldwide for a crisp and delightful sound.

THE QUALITY

There are 2700 seats in the concert hall, each providing outstanding capabilities for the audience both in terms of stage visibility and the natural quality of sound.

THE INSTITUTION

Southbank Centre is the largest centre for the arts in Europe. It is a spectacular complex of venues which forms the heart of cultural life in London and beyond.

What connects medieval grimoires and Baldur’s Gate 3 vinyl?

Meeting with Gustavo Santaolalla – important information for VIP Pass Holders Wroclaw concert

We are releasing Baldur’s Gate 3 Soundtrack on VINYL!

Final Symphony II – continuation of FINAL FANTASY® video games music saga now for the first time in Poland!

11 Best Touring Video Game Orchestras

These phenomenal orchestras bring the music of favorite video games to life!

Music in gaming can truly transform an experience. From sweeping overtures to character-specific themes, the musicality of a game can elevate it to new heights. Depending on the type of game you’re playing, the music could be something light and zany. Or, if emotions are heightened, it could be rousing and stirring. Regardless, it should be memorable.

RELATED: Game Soundtracks That Prove Video Games Deserve A Spot At The Grammy’s

It's no surprise that there have been a number of concerts celebrating the best in video game music. While some concerts hone in on one series or specific game, others take a broader approach and offer music from a selection of well-known and exciting games. If you’re looking to have an intimate night out with some of the best gaming music, some of these video game orchestras still tour. If you prefer a quiet evening at home, many of these can be listened to online, including ones that aren't traveling anymore.

Updated September 15, 2023 by PJ Molloy: There's something magical about video game music, and nowhere is that more apparent than the endlessly talented touring video game orchestras that bless the world with beautiful arrangements of some of the greatest video game music of all time. Now that the pandemic is over, music venues are open again, and video game concerts are making a comeback . Some are scheduled to tour throughout 2024, while others have sadly stopped and can only be experienced through YouTube or Spotify. Either way, if anyone tries to argue that video game music isn’t real art, show them these breathtaking video game orchestras and watch their argument crumble.

11 Press Start: A Symphony Of Games

Who would've thought there would be a video game orchestra organized by the same mind behind the Super Smash Bros. series? Press Start: A Symphony Of Games started performing in 2006 and toured throughout Japan and internationally for ten years.

The tour was organized by video game legends, including Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, Kirby composer Shogo Sakai, and Super Smash Bros director Masahiro Sakurai. The orchestra performed gorgeous renditions of music from Super Smash Bros, Mega Man, Donkey Kong Country, Xenoblade Chronicles, and much more.

10 Kingdom Hearts World Tour

Kingdom Hearts is known for its beautiful, moving, and epic melodies. Kingdom Hearts World Tour is a jaw-dropping way to experience these gorgeous pieces of music. This stunning video game orchestra debuted in 2017 and toured worldwide until 2018.

RELATED: The Most Relaxing Kingdom Hearts Songs

Concert-goers were able to hear fan favorites like the deeply moving Dearly Beloved and character themes for Sora, Riku, and Roxas. If you want to experience the outstanding arrangements of these songs, the orchestra released a full album you can find online.

9 Sonic Symphony

The Sonic series has some phenomenal soundtracks , so the Sonic Symphony is a dream come true for fans of the fastest thing alive. This video game symphony tours the world with a full orchestra and rock band, with special appearances by series composer Jun Senoue at select shows.

The Sonic Symphony plays beautifully orchestrated versions of famous Sonic songs from the Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Saturn, Dreamcast, and modern era. As the cherry on top, the rock portion of the concert includes hits like Live And Learn, Escape From The City, and Reach For The Stars. As of 2023, the orchestra is still touring, with dates scheduled well into 2024. If you can't make it to one of their live shows, you can watch the entire performance on the official Sonic The Hedgehog YouTube channel.

8 A New World: Intimate Music From Final Fantasy

The Final Fantasy series is no stranger to beautiful and epic music. From grand, exciting battle themes to tracks that elicit the strongest emotions, the series has had music from one extreme to the next.

A New World takes the best tracks from various games throughout 30-plus years of the Final Fantasy series and combines them into one moving orchestral concert. It's a smaller-scale intimate performance arranged by Arnie Roth and Eric Roth of AWR Music Productions — both of whom are widely respected international conductors.

7 The Legend Of Zelda: Symphony Of The Goddesses

While it hasn’t been performed recently, the Symphony of the Goddesses is known for its commitment to The Legend of Zelda series. The Zelda games have some of the most iconic music in gaming , and this orchestra features music from fan favorites like A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time , Twilight Princess , and Wind Waker.

RELATED: The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - Best Music Tracks

This video game concert was initially intended to promote the 25th anniversary of the series but would later go on to run for several seasons, with the third being titled the “Master Quest.” The orchestra would go on to tour continuously through 2018. Despite its lack of presence in recent years, you can still listen to the concert online.

6 Pokemon: Symphonic Evolutions

As you probably know, Pokemon is a game series where the goal is to catch ‘em all. If you’re a Pokedex completionist, you know how long a feat like that can be. It’s key to have some good tunes in the background, and thankfully, the Pokemon series delivers.

From 2014 to 2017, a video game orchestra called Symphonic Evolutions toured, celebrating the very best Pokemon music from both the games and the anime. Concerts always ended with an encore of the anime's original theme song Gotta Catch 'Em All.

5 Assassin's Creed Symphony World Tour

The Assassin’s Creed games have been immensely popular for years. It's a series that dives into the history of various civilizations across time and place, and it’s no wonder fans have fallen not only for the rich stories and characters but also for its music.

The Assassin's Creed Symphony World Tour features an 80-piece symphony and live choir. Like many video game concerts, it features game footage that plays simultaneously with the company. Over the course of their concerts, over one hundred tracks have been played from across ten different games.

4 The 8-Bit Big Band

If you’re looking for something different, The 8-Bit Big Band is a jazz and pop video game orchestra that plays its own arrangements of some of the most popular gaming tunes. They take fan favorites and add a twist to reimagine them into something fresh and exciting.

RELATED: Game Soundtracks That Are The Perfect Workout Music

From Super Mario 64 to Katamari Damacy to Earthbound, there is a little bit of something for everyone. While it won’t sound exactly like the versions in the original games, it injects an extra layer of jazz into classic tunes and guarantees a good time. They even won a Grammy in 2022 for their arrangement of Meta Knight's Revenge from Kirby Super Star.

3 Video Games Live

Video Games Live is a little more than just a video game concert. It is a full-on experience. Not only does it feature music from some of the best games with a full orchestra and choir, but there are also synchronized lights, solo performers, and interactive segments. If you attend one of their performances, you'll be graced with gorgeous renditions of music from Metal Gear Solid, Halo, Sonic The Hedgehog, and much more.

The concert is put on by people in the gaming industry and truly acts as a love letter to gaming and the good it can do. It's also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest, most successful, and longest-running video game concert.

2 Final Fantasy 7 Remake World Tour

Most video game orchestras cover an entire series or even a variety of games . But when a tour focuses specifically on a single game, you’re in for a treat. The concert tour for Final Fantasy 7 Remake features a grand orchestra with music from Nobuo Uematsu.

Expect favorites like Flowers In The Church and the epic but anxiety-inducing One-Winged Angel. It's all featured alongside electrifying high-definition video scenes created just for the concert. If you’re a major Final Fantasy 7 fan, you owe yourself to look them up and experience the gorgeous melodies.

There's something to be said about a shared experience with strangers. It can happen at the movies, at a play, or in this case, a video game orchestra. Game On! presents music from some of the world’s best games in its purest form.

From The Witcher 3 ’s spirited music to the animated tunes of the often overlooked Guild Wars 2 , there’s a bit of everything in the mix at a Game On! concert. In reviews from concert-goers, attendees noted that people can be heard whispering in between numbers at just how epic everything sounds with a full orchestra.

NEXT: The Best Video Game Soundtracks You Can Fall Asleep To

A Mesmerizing Celebration of Symphonic Videogame Music

• #   track name composer publisher length    

featured games

The Kennedy Center lights dimmed, a hushed reverence fell over the crowd as a man, who composed the music to some of their favorite video games, rose to his podium.  -CBS TV

An amazing program… a great success! -Carissa Castaldo, Popular Programming, Seattle Symphony

What a brilliant way to bring the brilliance of an orchestra to a whole new audience! -Douglas Mayo, Managing Editor BritishTheatre.com

You could hear whispers from children to their parents..."That was so cool"   It was a night they would never forget!  -Eric Jansen - WUSA9

{Brick's Concert} Speaks to the fundamental musical spirit of today’s youth!  -Cassie Silva, Review Vancouver (previous)

A victorious {European} premiere, both for game fans and newcomers…. -Federico Gagliano, Luzerner Zeitung

You can hear the audience yelling out the video game names . . . Then, the screaming begins. It’s thrilling! Ally Schweitzer, Washington City Paper

“Andy Brick introduced each video game to thunderous ovations generally reserved for rock stars... As the concert rose to its climactic conclusion, the crowd leapt to their feet cheering for more” -Andrew Creasey, The Oregon Music News (previous)

Welcome to Game ON!

A mesmerizing celebration.

Featuring concert premieres of stunning symphonic soundtrack music from an unprecedented lineup of blockbuster video games, Game ON! combines unrivaled symphonic arrangements with stunning, never before seen HD video.

Performed by world-renowned symphony orchestras, Game ON! will mesmerize you with an exhilarating and unequaled concert experience that celebrates the artistry of the symphony orchestra and embraces the passion and excitement of videogames for you, the next generation symphony audience!

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Peninsular Festival Orchestra

May 04, 2024 | kuala lumpur, malaysia, mega star arena.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra

May 24 & 25, 2024 | toronto, canada, roy thomson hall.

The show was spectacular! Well worth seeing for any aficionado of both music and video games - -Show Film First.com.

The KKL concert hall was near capacity… and vigorous applause and cheers from the fans could be heard early on … -Frederico Gagliano, Luzerner Zeitung

The conductor was fantastic, the Halle was amazing. A really good and enjoyable night. Highly recommended -Show Film First.com

With gracious support from our friends:

a mesmerizing celebration!

Past concerts, booking inquiries.

Jake Rosenblum Fifth Season +1 520-301-8753 Send Email

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Video Games Live™ is an immersive concert event featuring music from the most popular video games of all time. Top orchestras & choirs perform along with exclusive video footage and music arrangements, synchronized lighting, solo performers, electronic percussionists, live action and unique interactive segments to create an explosive one-of-a-kind entertainment experience!

"Captivating! Bombastic!"

"Beautiful Performance!"

"Simply breathtaking!"

"Ingenious and fantastic!"

"Thrilling!"

"Incredible! Dramatic!"

“Uplifting and exciting!”

Based in Boston, MA, “Video Game Orchestra” is a widely acclaimed music project that performs arrangements of mega popular video game scores in their signature “rockestral” style, which includes a high-energy rock band, singers, and an orchestra.

Founded in 2008 by Okinawan-native musician/guitarist Shota Nakama, Video Game Orchestra (aka VGO) quickly gained popularity for its engaging live musical performances that place entertainment and excitement at the forefront of their shows.

VGO has been featured in a number of large-scale international gaming events such as PAX East, PAX Prime, Brasil Game Show, ChinaJoy, San Diego Comic Con, Thailand Game Show, and more making them one of the few international video game music acts today.

In between tours, VGO is actively involved in the creation of soundtracks for video games with their music and video production company, soundtrec. VGO musicians can be found credited on major AAA titles such as Final Fantasy XV as well as indie smash hits like No Straight Roads and Gigabash.

VGO most recently collaborated with MARVEL to produce their first-ever online concert for their “Marvel Future Revolutions.”

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Check out your favorite VGO musicians and get to know the talent behind our music!

SONIC SYMPHONY WORLD TOUR

Sept 16, 2023

London, Barbican Hall (3:30pm show)

London, Barbican Hall (8:00pm show)

Oct 21, 2023

Boston, Emerson Colonial Theatre

Sept 30, 2023

Los Angeles, Dolby Theatre (3:30pm show)

Los Angeles, Dolby Theatre (8:00pm show)

Oct 14, 2023

São Paulo, Brasil Game Show

Oct 15, 2023

Jan 20, 2024

Washington DC, Warner Theater

Oct 28, 2023

Chicago, Auditorium Theatre

Nov 17, 2023

Düsseldorf, Mitsubishi Electric Halle

Dec 15, 2023

San Antonio, Majestic Theatre

Dec 29, 2023

Atlanta, Cobb Energy P.A.C.

Jan 05, 2024

Seattle, Paramount Theatre

Jan 06, 2024

San Francisco, Davies Symphony Hall

Jan 27, 2024

Kansas City, Kansas City Music Hall

Feb 11, 2024

Tokyo, LINE CUBE SHIBUYA

Feb 17, 2024

Toronto, Meridian Hall

Mar 24, 2024

Montreal, Wilfrid-Pelletier Theater

Mar 29, 2024

Portland, Schnitzer Auditorium

Apr 06, 2024

Milwaukee, Bradley Symphony Center

Apr 07, 2024

Jul 02, 2023

Paris, Le Grand Rex

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Inside the World of Video Game Music Concerts

Unless you’ve spent the last decade living under a particularly large rock, you’ll be acutely aware that video games are now extremely big business. Similarly, live music concerts remain one of the most-watched forms of entertainment on the planet. It was only a matter of time before these two pop culture behemoths crossed paths.

In-game live shows didn’t really start grabbing wider attention until relatively recently. After all, last year’s much-hyped Fortnite concert by Travis Scott pulled in 12.3 million viewers for the first of five virtual dates - a quite staggering figure however you break down the demographics. In the face of numbers like that, it’s tough to argue that video game music concerts lack the potential to make a real splash on the live music scene.

But, is this all a bit of a flash in the pan, or are gaming gigs set to be the next big thing in 2021 and beyond? Let’s take a quick look at the recent history of live music in virtual gaming spaces, and consider where it might lead us in future.

What is a video game music concert?

At the risk of sounding redundant, a video game music concert is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s an all-singing, all-dancing live gig experience, just like the concerts you already know and love. The major difference is that it’s staged entirely virtually, and contained within the boundaries of an online game world.

Popular MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) include the likes of Fortnite, World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls Online, Minecraft, GTA Online, Neverwinter, Runescape, and Guild Wars 2. Those are just a few of the hottest titles from recent years - there are many dozens more out there, and you almost certainly know somebody who plays at least one of them on a regular basis.

Indeed, several of today’s leading MMOs rank among the biggest, most played and most lucrative video game franchises of modern times. These games are played entirely online and unfold in a virtual ‘sandbox’, an open world map designed to support huge numbers of concurrent players. Once logged in, gamers are free to move around the environment, interacting with various elements of the game - and each other - more or less as they please.

Typically, your time in an MMO game is spent completing quests or story missions, chatting with other players over headset mics, and generally roaming the landscape looking for fun stuff to see and do. To help keep things feeling fresh, a game’s developers will regularly program new in-game events or challenges for players to experience together.

So, how do video game (music) concerts really work?

Video game music concerts, while a relatively new addition, are quickly emerging as one of the most popular ways to bring the player base together. They’re scheduled to take place at a specific time and location within the game world, where people show up en masse to watch a virtual avatar of their favourite artist perform tracks in real time.

In many ways, then, the basic elements of a video game music concert are much like those of any other live show. The two major differences are that you’re watching it from the comfort of your PC chair or sofa, and there’s effectively no limit on the number of viewers who might be tuning in.

The record-breaking Travis Scott Fortnite concert from April 2020 was certainly the biggest of its kind to date - but it was far from the first. In fact, EDM pioneer Marshmello also staged a Fortnite show in 2019, pulling in nearly 11m viewers a full year before Scott upped the numbers even further. (The total attendance figure estimated over Scott ’s five-show run was an incredible 27.7 million.)

There have also been vast multi-stage music festivals held in Minecraft (hence the tongue-in-cheek name ‘Block By Blockwest’) for millions of players at a time, as well as countless other in-game appearances by music artists in various guises. Self-proclaimed rock nerds Weezer famously set up their own island in Fortnite, where players and fans could visit and hang out. In fact, you can go all the way back to 2003’s Second Life MMO to find other examples of bands and artists showing up on various video game platforms.

Of course, it’s fun for everyone involved - performers, developers and players alike - but the real reason video game music concerts are increasing in scope and scale comes down to one key word: engagement. Given the ever-growing popularity of both MMOs and virtual entertainment experiences with a vast swathe of today’s younger generation, you simply can’t argue with the numbers when the right artist teams up with the right game franchise.

How can music artists benefit from video game live shows?

In-game shows can be somewhat tricky to monetise directly, as many of these titles are free to play. Instead, they often earn revenue (and plenty of it) through various combinations of advertising partnerships and game-related microtransactions. The development costs involved in delivering a high-end, professionally staged virtual concert can be significant, but the rewards are potentially huge too - even if viewers are able to show up without paying for a physical ticket.

By streaming across multiple platforms like YouTube and Twitch simultaneously, video game music concerts can open up several different potential sources of income for a single show. Far more valuable to the artists themselves, though, is the fact that they’re able to engage with millions of passionate and active entertainment consumers right in their own (virtual) back yards.

In terms of boosting engagement, the results are clear to see. Immediately following his massive Fortnite shows, Travis Scott ’s new single with Kid Cudi shot to the top of Spotify’s streaming charts, earning nearly 7.5m plays in 24hrs. Again, with numbers like that on the table, nobody’s about to argue that live streamed virtual shows aren’t going to be a huge focus in 2021 and beyond.

Whether it’s in-game or as part of a dedicated concert streaming package, music fans all over the world can expect to be catching some of their favourite artists from the comfort of home over the coming months. If you want to keep on top of everything that’s happening in the virtual concert space, stick right here with Songkick - we’ve got you covered, and we’ll see you down the front.

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Video Games in Concert Brings Renowned Orchestra and Definitive Program to London

Press release, the royal philharmonic concert orchestra will perform selections from fortnite , mario + rabbids , sea of thieves , hades , and more on june 6 in london.

Game music label Materia Music is the evening's ticket sponsor, showing continued investment in and support for videogame music, especially large scale celebrations with best-in-class producers and creative professionals like those putting on Video Games in Concert . Tickets and more information are available on the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra website:

Video Games in Concert Tickets on the RPO Website  

The full program for the evening includes:

• WORLD OF WARCRAFT Suite
• MARIO + RABBIDS: SPARKS OF HOPE Suite
• SEA OF THIEVES Suite
• HADES "No Escape"
• THE LAST OF US "All Gone (No Escape)"
• FORTNITE Suite
• ORI AND THE WILL OF THE WISPS "Main Theme"
• DEAR ESTHER & SO LET US MELT "I Have Begun My Ascent/The Leaving"
• CIVILIZATION VI "Sogno di Volare (The Dream of Flight)"
• THE WITCHER III: WILD HUNT "Lullaby of Woe"
• RESIDENT EVIL 5 "Wesker Battle"
• BALDUR’S GATE: DARK ALLIANCE II Suite
• CHRONO CROSS: THE RADICAL DREAMERS EDITION "Main Theme" and "Memories of My Soul"
• DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION Suite
• WORLD OF WARCRAFT: WARLORDS OF DRAENOR "Malach, Angel Messenger"
• UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES Suite
• TETRIS (2023 Film ) "THE FINAL COUNTDOWN"

About The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra

The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (RPCO) is a dynamic and versatile ensemble that performs a wide range of styles and genres of music in shows across the UK and around the world. The Orchestra’s repertoire includes film music, videogame scores, music from the musicals, and symphonic arrangements of classic rock and pop songs, as well as new commissions and the traditional core classical repertoire, reaching an audience of over 170,000 live listeners per year. The Orchestra’s creative partnerships with artists, promoters and producers have resulted in ambitious performances in venues from vast arenas and main concert venues around the UK to smaller and more intimate settings. The RPCO aims to reach as wide and diverse an audience as possible and is unafraid to explore new orchestral experiences.  

The Orchestra is a regular visitor to the Royal Albert Hall where it has premiered many films ‘Live in Concert’ such as The English Patient , Brassed Off! in a collaboration with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Skyfall , and the blockbuster Bollywood film Baahubali’ screened in the original language of Tamil. This Season sees the premiere of Wonder Woman , as well as the next instalments of the Harry Potter series and Lord of the Rings trilogy.  

Learn more:  https://rpco.co.uk  

Follow RPO on  Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube

About Materia Music

Materia Music is the leading independent soundtrack record label, music publisher, and rights administrator of videogame music.  

For nearly a decade, Materia has enriched videogame music communities via sponsorships, opportunities, and innovative efforts in strengthening the longevity of game music. Our brands and imprints cultivate lifelong fandoms and build the next generations of modern classics.   

Materia’s diverse roster of composers, recording artists, and game companies includes some of the most impactful, and most-listened-to video game music in gaming history.

Learn more:  https://www.materiacollective.com

Follow Materia Music on  Twitter and  YouTube

A press kit including marketing materials and this press release is available upon request.

Media Contact

Materia Music

[email protected]

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Distant Worlds:

Final fantasy.

AWR Music Productions, LLC is proud to present the official symphony concert world-tour Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY.

Launched in conjunction with the twentieth anniversary of FINAL FANTASY, this concert production features the music of the great video game series FINAL FANTASY and composer Nobuo Uematsu. The concerts are performed by symphony orchestra, choir, and renowned vocal and instrumental soloists, under the direction of GRAMMY Award-winner and acclaimed conductor Arnie Roth. With HD video direct from the FINAL FANTASY game developers SQUARE ENIX projected onto giant screens throughout the concerts, a rapidly growing repertoire of classic FINAL FANTASY music, and an extraordinary fan base, Distant Worlds is a unique multimedia concert experience every time.

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Upcoming Concerts

Amphithéâtre 3000

San Francisco, CA

Davies Concert Hall

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo International Forum, Hall A

New York, NY

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

2:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Seattle, WA

Taper Auditorium at Benaroya Hall

Discography

Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY

CD available:

Vinyl available at Amazon:

The initial release of Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY coincided with the start of the world-tour on December 4, 2007 in Sweden, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the FINAL FANTASY series.

Performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and the choir Allmänna Sången, Distant Worlds is recorded in high resolution at 88.2khz/24bit. Produced and conducted by GRAMMY Award-winning music director, Arnie Roth. All music composed by Nobuo Uematsu.

DIGITAL ALBUM

Immediate download of 13-track album in your choice of standard 320k mp3 and AAC, or HD 24bit/88.2k FLAC, ALAC, or any other format you desire. Full album purchase includes a 12-page pdf booklet with liner notes, session photos, lyrics, and more.

• Opening ～ Bombing Mission Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:03
• One-Winged Angel Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:26
• Swing de Chocobo Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:33
• Love Grows Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:10
• Vamo' Alla Flamenco Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:15
• Theme of Love Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:22
• Medley 2002 Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 8:04
• Memoro de la Stono ～ Distant Worlds Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 8:42
• Don't be Afraid Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:45
• Fisherman's Horizon Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:53
• Opera "Maria and Draco" Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 12:12
• Aerith's Theme Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:48
• Liberi Fatali Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:15

Distant Worlds II: more music from FINAL FANTASY

Recorded in late January, 2010 by Arnie Roth and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Elmhurst College Concert Choir. For the first time on any recording, Distant Worlds welcomes Earthbound Papas, featuring Nobuo Uematsu on organ.

We also welcome back vocal soloist Susan Calloway, Laura Stephenson on harp, Per Skareng on guitar, and Oskar Ekburg on the Stockholm Concert Hall Pipe Organ (Grönlund 1982). The album was recorded on location in the Stockholm Konserthuset (Sweden) & in Elmhurst College (IL, USA) Hammerschmidt Chapel in high resolution at 88.2khz/24bit.

• Prelude (FINAL FANTASY SERIES) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:22
• The Man with the Machine Gun (FINAL FANTASY VIII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:34
• Ronfaure (FINAL FANTASY XI) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:40
• A Place to Call Home - Melodies of Life (FINAL FANTASY IX) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 6:56
• Zanarkand (FINAL FANTASY X) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:31
• Dancing Mad (FINAL FANTASY VI) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 10:42
• Victory Theme (FINAL FANTASY SERIES) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 0:09
• Suteki da ne (FINAL FANTASY X) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 6:25
• Terra's Theme (FINAL FANTASY VI) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:19
• Main Theme of Final Fantasy VII (FINAL FANTASY VII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 6:41
• Prima Vista Orchestra (FINAL FANTASY IX) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 1:31
• Dear Friends (FINAL FANTASY V) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:11
• JENOVA (FINAL FANTASY VII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:17

Distant Worlds III: more music from FINAL FANTASY

This is the third album of FINAL FANTASY music by the internationally-acclaimed orchestra tour, under the direction of GRAMMY Award-winning music director Arnie Roth.

The new release boasts a rich and varied repertoire of favorites and surprises, developed by the minds of Nobuo Uematsu, game developers SQUARE ENIX and the Distant Worlds production. Performed by the Distant Worlds Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, recorded in November 2014 at the famed Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum in Prague (Czech Republic) and AWR Music Studio in Chicago (USA) and featuring the remarkable singing talents of Distant Worlds favorite, Susan Calloway, Distant Worlds III is recorded in high resolution at 88.2khz/24bit.

• Hymn of the Fayth - The Sending (Final Fantasy X) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:48
• Battle & Victory Theme Medley (Final Fantasy Series) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:50
• Kiss Me Good-Bye (Final Fantasy XII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:49
• Not Alone (Final Fantasy IX) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:58
• Balamb GARDEN ~ Ami (Final Fantasy VIII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:29
• Character Theme Medley (Final Fantasy VI) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 6:27
• Fabula Nova Crystallis (Final Fantasy XIII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 2:51
• Blinded By Light (Final Fantasy XIII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:10
• Primal Judgment (Final Fantasy XIV) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:08
• Roses of May (Final Fantasy IX) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:45
• Chocobo Medley 2012 (Final Fantasy Series) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:33
• Balance is Restored (Final Fantasy VI) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:06
• Answers (Final Fantasy XIV) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 7:09

Distant Worlds IV: more music from FINAL FANTASY

This fourth album boasts one of the strongest track lists of any of our recordings, with brilliant new classics from the latest game release FINAL FANTASY XV: APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS and Somnus, new orchestral arrangements from FINAL FANTASY VII: Cosmo Canyon and JENOVA COMPLETE, FINAL FANTASY VIII: The Oath and FINAL FANTASY IX: Festival of the Hunt, and Nobuo Uematsu’s FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dragonsong featuring the inimitable voice of Susan Calloway.

Recorded in March 2017 at the famed Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum in Prague (Czech Republic) and at AWR Music Studio in Chicago (USA), the Distant Worlds Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, under the direction of GRAMMY Award-winning conductor Arnie Roth, delivers the precision and richness that are the hallmark of this monumental series of recordings.

Distant Worlds IV is recorded in high resolution at 88.2khz/24bit.

• JENOVA COMPLETE (FINAL FANTASY VII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:41
• Battle With The Four Fiends (FINAL FANTASY IV) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:12
• The Dalmasca Estersand (FINAL FANTASY XII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:02
• Phantom Forest (FINAL FANTASY VI) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:15
• The Oath (FINAL FANTASY VIII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:26
• APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS (FINAL FANTASY XV) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 2:11
• Festival of the Hunt (FINAL FANTASY IX) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:19
• Dragonsong (FINAL FANTASY XIV) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:42
• Main Theme of Final Fantasy V (FINAL FANTASY V) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:54
• Zephyr Memories -Legend of the Eternal Wind- (FINAL FANTASY III) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:04
• Cosmo Canyon (FINAL FANTASY VII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:53
• Fang's Theme (FINAL FANTASY XIII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:32
• Somnus (Instrumental Version) (FINAL FANTASY XV) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 2:34
• Torn from the Heavens (FINAL FANTASY XIV) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:27
• FINAL FANTASY (FINAL FANTASY Series) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:08

Distant Worlds V: more music from FINAL FANTASY

Following up the incredible first four recordings of the series, AWR Music Productions and SQUARE ENIX are proud to present  Distant Worlds V: more music from FINAL FANTASY , the latest example of the pinnacle of orchestral excellence in game music.

Distant Worlds V  contains new arrangements of irreplaceable classics including Nobuo Uematsu’s expanded version of FINAL FANTASY VI: Opera “Maria and Draco,” with Associate Music Director Eric Roth as narrator, and exciting new additions to the repertoire like FINAL FANTASY XIV: HEAVENSWARD and FINAL FANTASY XV: Ignis and Raves.  Distant Worlds V  also features soloists Nobuo Uematsu on organ and Arnie Roth on violin in FINAL FANTASY VI: Dark World.

Recorded in March 2019 at the famed Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum in Prague (Czech Republic) and at AWR Music Studio in Chicago (USA), the Distant Worlds Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, under the direction of GRAMMY Award-winning conductor Arnie Roth, delivers the precision and richness that are hallmarks of this monumental series of recordings.  Distant Worlds V  is recorded in high resolution at 88.2khz/24bit.

• Clash on the Big Bridge (FINAL FANTASY V) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:10
• HEAVENSWARD (FINAL FANTASY XIV) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:35
• Dark World (FINAL FANTASY VI) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:35
• Unrequited Love (FINAL FANTASY IX) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:51
• Flash of Steel (FINAL FANTASY XII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:45
• Opera Maria and Draco (FINAL FANTASY VI) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 13:44
• Searching for Friends (FINAL FANTASY VI) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:17
• Hymn of the Fayth (FINAL FANTASY X) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 1:49
• Saber's Edge (FINAL FANTASY XIII) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:16
• Cinco de Chocobo (FINAL FANTASY SERIES) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:41
• Ignis and Raves (FINAL FANTASY XV) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:46
• Sword Song (FINAL FANTASY XI) Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:03

Distant Worlds & A New World Collections: music from FINAL FANTASY VII

Distant worlds & a new world collections: music from final fantasy vii.

This brand new compilation contains every musical moment, battle medley, and character theme from FINAL FANTASY VII ever released by Distant Worlds and A New World. Relive your favorite musical memories with this special collection featuring the renowned Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, the Distant Worlds Philharmonic, the New World Players, and Benyamin Nuss – a unique celebration of the original FINAL FANTASY VII!

• Opening ～ Bombing Mission (from Distant Worlds) DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY 4:03
• Main Theme of Final Fantasy VII (from Distant Worlds II) DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY 6:41
• Those Who Fight (from A New World) A NEW WORLD: INTIMATE MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY 4:11
• Aerith's Theme (from Distant Worlds) DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY 5:46
• JENOVA (from Distant Worlds II) DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY 4:17
• Cinco de Chocobo (from Distant Worlds V) DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY 4:41
• Gold Saucer (from A New World II) A NEW WORLD: INTIMATE MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY 2:28
• Cosmo Canyon (from Distant Worlds IV) DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY 3:53
• JENOVA COMPLETE (from Distant Worlds IV) DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY 3:41
• One-Winged Angel (from Distant Worlds) DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY 4:25

Distant Worlds & A New World Collections: music from FINAL FANTASY VIII

Distant worlds & a new world collections: music from final fantasy viii.

This newly remastered collection features every song from FINAL FANTASY VIII that Distant Worlds and A New World have recorded to date. And only available on this album: an exclusive, brand-new recording of Nobuo Uematsu’s “Eyes On Me,” featuring vocalist Susan Calloway. Relive your favorite FINAL FANTASY VIII musical moments!

• Force Your Way (FINAL FANTASY VIII) A New World: intimate music from FINAL FANTASY 3:33
• Fragments of Memories (FINAL FANTASY VIII) A New World: intimate music from FINAL FANTASY 4:22
• Eyes on Me (FINAL FANTASY VIII) Distant Worlds and A New World Collections 5:41

Distant Worlds VI: more music from FINAL FANTASY

SQUARE ENIX and AWR Records are proud to present Distant Worlds VI: more music from FINAL FANTASY , produced and conducted by the legendary GRAMMY-award winning musician Arnie Roth! Most of these tracks were premiered on our monumental FINAL FANTASY 35th Anniversary Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY Coral and FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE World Tours!

Distant Worlds VI includes the sensational new “FINAL FANTASY I-VI: Battle Medley” featuring fiery arrangements of some of Nobuo Uematsu’s most beloved themes! The album also includes music from the FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE such as Masashi Hamauzu’s lush “Jessie’s Theme,” the anthemic “Stand Up” by Mitsuto Suzuki & Nozomi Toki, and the thunderous reimagining of “Those Chosen By the Planet.” 

We are also presenting music from FINAL FANTASY VII Advent Children for the first time with the choral feature “The Promised Land” and the wistful “Cloud Smiles.” If that’s not enough, original FINAL FANTASY XIV vocalist Susan Calloway sings the timeless “Eyes on Me” from FINAL FANTASY VIII!

This album is not to be missed!

• FINAL FANTASY I-VI: Battle Medley Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 8:54
• FINAL FANTASY III: Eternal Wind Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:08
• FINAL FANTASY IV: The Red Wings - Kingdom of Baron Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:55
• FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE: Those Chosen by the Planet - Destiny Comes Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:13
• FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE: Jessie's Theme Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:47
• FINAL FANTASY VII Advent Children: Promised Land Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:13
• FINAL FANTASY VI: Phantom Forest - Phantom Train - The Veldt Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:54
• FINAL FANTASY XI: Ragnarok Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:43
• FINAL FANTASY V: A New World Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:52
• FINAL FANTASY VIII: Eyes On Me Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 5:40
• FINAL FANTASY V: Home Sweet Home - Music Box Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:15
• FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE: Turks' Theme Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 2:13
• FINAL FANTASY VII Advent Children: Cloud Smiles Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:21
• FINAL FANTASY VI: Kids Run Through the City Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 2:53
• FINAL FANTASY IV: Main Theme Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 4:02
• FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE: STAND UP Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:56
• FINAL FANTASY SERIES: Main Theme Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY 3:09

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A new world: intimate music from final fantasy.

The producers of the live orchestra performance phenomenon Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY are proud to announce an intimate FINAL FANTASY music experience.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Orchestra World Tour

With stunning video scenes from the new game.

Aan electrifying new concert based entirely on the highly anticipated and groundbreaking game from SQUARE ENIX. Experience all new symphonic arrangements, including the FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Theme song “Hollow”, the latest original composition from Nobuo Uematsu, performed by an orchestra and chorus of over 100 musicians, led by GRAMMY® Award-winning conductor Arnie Roth.

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Find us on social media, heroes: a video game symphony to kick-off world tour on aug. 11th, 2023.

A must-attend for game music fans

The highly anticipated video game music concert “Heroes: A Video Game Symphony” will kick off its world tour with a concert on August 11, 2023 with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Handel Choir of Baltimore. Additional concerts include the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (their first time doing a video game music concert) on September 16-17 and the Atlanta Symphony on September 21- 22; many more dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Jason Michael Paul – the producer and creator of the first stateside FINAL FANTASY concerts, The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary concerts, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concerts, and Founder of JMP Entertainment – envisioned the “Heroes” experience to take audience members on a heroes journey, as set forth by Joseph Campbell’s monomyth – a narrative framework that can be seen in many of the games, film, and books throughout history. Each stage in the monomyth is a chapter in our story, and each game/musical selection was chosen primarily for its suitability in the chapter where it is featured. Everyone’s story is the story of a hero, told through the amazing worlds of other heroes, in an unforgettable experience that is not to be missed.

JMP Entertainment is celebrating its 20th anniversary since its inaugural video game music concert series with Dear Friends: Music from FINAL FANTASY; Paul has produced over 300 video game music concerts since the inaugural stateside performance in 2004. A seasoned concert producer who is known for staging concerts worldwide for notable artists such as Luciano Pavarotti and the Three Tenors, Paul realized that if philharmonic regulars set aside their preconceived notions about gaming culture, they could appreciate the rich musical virtuosity and magic of video game soundtracks. His vision was spot-on, and he has created a global phenomenon over the past two decades.

“It’s beyond wonderful to celebrate our 20th anniversary with this unparalleled ‘Heroes’ concert series,” notes Paul. “The narrative of the Hero is so fundamental to our human experience, and these incredible video games symphonic pieces bring that rich tapestry to life.”

For the “Heroes” concert series, a 70-piece orchestra will be joined by a choir to perform new arrangements of a variety of songs from multiple video game franchises. Represented titles will include FINAL FANTASY, Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger, Portal 2, BioShock, Guild Wars 2, Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls, Skyrim: The Elder Scrolls, Blades: The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Starfield, Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, Halo, Mass Effect, Dear Esther, Journey, God of War, Dragon Age, Shadow of the Colossus and more. The series promises to be an entirely new music concert format and the definitive concert experience for video game enthusiast and music afficionados alike.

Moreover, the concert story is narrated by BAFTA award winner, Nigel Carrington, from the popular video game “Dear Esther” and a host of other credits. Also, the concerts will feature special arrangements of Fallout, Blades: The Elder Scrolls, and Dragon Age, composed and arranged with the participation of series composer Inon Zur. Zur notes, “I’m so honored and pleased to have my music performed at the amazing ‘Heroes: A Video Game Symphony’ concert. To have some of the finest orchestras in the world perform my music is a dream come true.”

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Heroes: A Video Game Symphony World Tour Unveiled: Live Performances of Iconic Game Music

Iconic and Fan-Favorite Game Music Comes Alive in Live Performances, Starting August 11 in Baltimore, MD

The highly anticipated video game music concert series, “Heroes: A Video Game Symphony,” is set to embark on a world tour that will captivate audiences around the globe. The tour commences on August 11th, 2023, in Baltimore, MD, featuring the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Handel Choir of Baltimore. Excitingly, this will be followed by concerts by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra on September 16th – 17th and the Atlanta Symphony on September 21st – 22nd. Expect more tour dates to be announced soon.

A Visionary Experience by Jason Michael Paul

The creative force behind this exceptional venture is none other than Jason Michael Paul, a renowned producer and creator of iconic video game concerts. Having orchestrated the stateside performances of FINAL FANTASY, The Legend of Zelda’s 25th Anniversary, and The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, Paul has firmly established himself as a leading figure in the industry. As the founder of JMP Entertainment, he conceived the “Heroes” concert series as a transformative journey, inspired by Joseph Campbell’s monomyth narrative framework. This universal framework, prevalent in games, films, and literature, serves as the backbone for the concert’s story, with each stage representing a chapter. Meticulously selected games and musical compositions enhance the narrative in each chapter, culminating in an unforgettable and immersive experience.

Celebrating 20 Years of JMP Entertainment

JMP Entertainment commemorates its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of delivering captivating video game music concert series. The inaugural series, “Dear Friends: Music from FINAL FANTASY,” set the stage for Paul’s extraordinary career. Since then, he has produced over 300 video game music concerts worldwide. With a wealth of experience as a concert producer, working with esteemed artists like Luciano Pavarotti and the Three Tenors, Paul recognized that video game soundtracks possess an untapped richness and virtuosity that transcends gaming culture. This revelation sparked a global phenomenon that has continued to grow.

Unveiling the “Heroes” Concert Series

The “Heroes” concert series will feature a 70-piece orchestra accompanied by a choir, performing newly arranged compositions from a diverse range of video game franchises. Among the titles represented are FINAL FANTASY, Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger, Portal 2, BioShock, Guild Wars 2, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls: Blades, Fallout 4, Starfield, Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, Halo, Mass Effect, Dear Esther, Journey, God of War, Dragon Age, Shadow of the Colossus, and more. This carefully curated selection promises a fresh and immersive music concert format, making it the definitive concert experience for video game enthusiasts and music aficionados alike.

A Multifaceted Concert Experience

Enhancing the concert experience, the captivating story will be narrated by Nigel Carrington, a BAFTA award-winning actor known for his work in the popular video game “Dear Esther” and various other projects. In addition, the concerts will feature special arrangements of music from Fallout, Blades: The Elder Scrolls, and Dragon Age, composed and arranged in collaboration with series composer Inon Zur.

Zur expresses his gratitude, stating, “I’m honored and pleased to have my music performed at the amazing ‘Heroes: A Video Game Symphony’ concert. To have some of the finest orchestras in the world bring my music to life is a dream come true.”

Don’t miss out on this extraordinary celebration of video game music and the hero’s journey. Join the “Heroes: A Video Game Symphony” world tour for an unparalleled experience that brings together the power of music, storytelling, and gaming.

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Thomas Böcker Salzgasse 6 D-01067 Dresden / Germany

Phone +49 351 3324029 [email protected]

VAT ID DE216059330

Opus 3 Artists New York Stephanie Carlesimo Vice President – Attractions and Pops Booking

Tel: 212-584-7567 Cell: 647-325-6757

Email: scarlesimo©opus3artists . com www.opus3artists.com

The beginnings

From single beeps to symphonic sounds in 40 years – today it is not unusual for music from computer and video games to be recorded and performed by world class orchestras and released by renowned classical labels such as DECCA or Deutsche Grammophon.

At the end of the eighties, the fledgling genre of video game music left its virtual world for the very first time and moved into real concert halls. On 20th August 1987, composer and conductor Koichi Sugiyama presented his Family Classic Concert at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo – the first video game music concert in the world. Exactly sixteen years later to the day, on 20th August 2003, video game music cast its spell on concert-goers again – at the Gewandhaus concert hall in Leipzig, Germany.

With this program in Leipzig, producer and organiser Thomas Böcker had put together the first concert of video game music anywhere outside of Japan. The event’s huge success soon lead to a whole series of concerts – and thus, Spielekonzerte (German for game concerts) was born. From 2003 to 2007 these concerts were the opening for the annual Games Convention in Leipzig. They were permanently sold out, always documented by the international media, and visited by a young and enthusiastic audience, who were often experiencing their first encounter with symphonic music. Similar events subsequently flourished all around the world.

Refinement of the concept

In 2008, the game music concert series moved to Cologne. Performed by the WDR Radio Orchestra in Cologne’s Philharmonic Hall, the concerts continued to lead the way as international pioneers of the genre; acclaimed performances such as Symphonic Shades , Symphonic Fantasies , Symphonic Legends and Symphonic Odysseys were all sold out. For the very first time, DECCA, a leading label for classical music, released a live concert recording of video game music. And with this, again for the first time, video game music reached the Top 15 in the German classical music charts. Further world firsts for symphonic video game music include the first live broadcast on radio in 2008 and the first video livestream online in 2009.

International breakthrough

In 2012 Thomas Böcker's production company, Merregnon Studios, made a return to Japan with Symphonic Fantasies Tokyo . It was the first video game music concert from a European production team ever to be performed in Japan, with more than 4,600 concert-goers enjoying the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra’s rendition. The prestige of the concert continues today with a global, digital release of the recording proving popular with fans.  

Another landmark first was set in 2013 as the celebrated London Symphony Orchestra performed its first game concert with Final Symphony . A triumphant concert featuring music from Final Fantasy VI , VII and X , Final Symphony marks the tenth and most successful concert production for Thomas Böcker to date. No other concert has been performed as many times, with shows in Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, the USA, New Zealand, China and Austria. It also marked the start of a special relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra, with Merregnon Studios returning to London in 2014 to partner with the orchestra on the Symphonic Legends London concert. Following yet another sell out success, the orchestra went on to record the Final Symphony album at the world famous Abbey Road Studios – published by X5 Music Group.

Text: Matthias Oborski and Mark Robins

2015 Best Album - Arranged Album Final Symphony Annual Game Music Awards 2015 Cultural and Creative Pilots Germany Producer Thomas Böcker German Federal Government 2015 First Game Concert outside of Japan: 2003 Producer Thomas Böcker Guinness World Records 2013 Outstanding Production – Concert Final Symphony London Annual Game Music Awards 2012 Outstanding Production – Concert Symphonic Fantasies Tokyo Annual Game Music Awards

2011 Outstanding Production – Concert Symphonic Odysseys Annual Game Music Awards 2011 Best Live Concert Symphonic Odysseys Original Sound Version Awards 2010 Best Arranged Album – Solo / Ensemble Symphonic Fantasies Annual Game Music Awards 2010 Best Live Concert Symphonic Legends Original Sound Version Awards 2010 Best Concert Symphonic Legends LEVEL magazine Sweden

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Game music fest.

GAME MUSIC FEST is an interdisciplinary festival organized by the Silesian Philharmonic, focused on the subject of video game music. The very 1st edition of the festival took place in February 2023, gaining almost 5-thousand-audience. And it was only the beginning!

GAME MUSIC CONCERT 2023

GAME MUSIC FEST 2024

GAME MUSIC CONCERT will return in 2024, full of new emotions and great experiences. It will be even more intense and breathtaking. Join the game and create GAME MUSIC FEST 2024 along the Silesian Philharmonic! 

GAME MUSIC CONCERT

GAME MUSIC FEST 2023

The 1st edition of the GAME MUSIC FEST has introduced a new tradition spectacularly. The concert in Spodek Arena (Katowice, Poland) was a spectacle focused on video game music and all that comes with it. The audience not only heard soundtracks from 16 games performed by the Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (two of them were premiered), but also experienced multimedia, visualizations, cosplay, dance and fire show, and many more.

After the exuberant introduction, the second day of the festival covered the topics like producing, composing, and developing game music. In the Silesian Philharmonic, we hosted: Adam Skorupa – one of the best-known and most experienced Polish video game music composers and sound designers (Witcher, Painkiller, Shadow Warrior, Diablo Immortal), Bartosz Chajdecki – composer, known by Polish – and abroad – audiences for his film music compositions (Gods, Breaking the Limits, The Champion) and game music (Space Tail), Ben Parker – Lead Music Producer at Laced (Keywords Studios), Tomasz Bonikowski – harpsichordist, organist, composer, and game music expert, Adam Wesołowski – director of the Silesian Philharmonic, composer, conductor, and culture manager, and Michał ‘Wasiu’ Wasik , who was the moderator of GAME MUSIC DISCUSSION PANEL. What’s more, that evening concert of music from ‘Gra Szyfrów’ game happened, performed by ‘The Opera’ Quartet, and a hologram concert performed by Dombrova Piano Duo. All the time, our guests could visit the VR section, AR exhibition, and stands of partners: Keywords Studios and IPN.

Another relevant part of the festival was the GAME MUSIC CONTEST – an international competition for the GAME MUSIC FEST musical logo. The winner was Jakub Tokarczyk, whose composition was performed in Spodek Arena.

1 2 ►  

17.02.2023 | Friday | 7 p.m. GAME MUSIC CONCERT Spodek Arena, Katowice

• František Macek – conductor
• The Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

Video game music from: Assassin’s Creed, Counter-Strike, Diablo II, Heroes of Might and Magic III, League of Legends, The Legend of Zelda, Mass Effect, Red Dead Redemption II, Resident Evil, Skyrim, World of Warcraft, Uncharted and Mortal Kombat

• visuals created by artists from The University of Silesia
• Seimuse – dance show
• cosplay shows

 18.02.2023 | Saturday | 4 p.m. GAME MUSIC FEST The Silesian Philharmonic, Katowice

GAME MUSIC DISCUSSION PANEL The Karol Stryja Concert Hall | 4 p.m.

Discussion panel with composers, creators, and GameDev professionals, which will be focused on the subject of the growing game music market. In the panel will take part: Adam Skorupa, Bartosz Chajdecki, Peter McConnell (online), Ben Parker (Laced, Keywords Studios), Tomasz Bonikowski, and Adam Wesołowski. Host: Michał ‘Wasiu’ Wasik. The Polish/English translation will be provided.

Hologram concert The Karol Stryja Concert Hall | 6 p.m.

Piano recital of Łukasz Szubski and Krzysztof Włodarczyk – Dombrova Piano Duo, who will perform – as a hologram – music from video games.

Festival events The Silesian Philharmonic | 4–7 p.m.

• VR stations of the Silesian Philharmonic and The University of Silesia
• AR exhibition
• networking zone

GAME MUSIC CONTEST

International Music Competition for the GAME MUSIC FEST music logo

• Adam Skorupa – composer
• Bartosz Chajdecki – composer
• Ben Parker – Lead Music Producer at Laced ( Keywords Studios)
• Adam Wesołowski – director of the Silesian Philharmonic 

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Wake Forest News

What’s driving diverse audiences to symphonic music video games.

Gaming continues to grow among people of all ages and backgrounds and represents (as of 2022) a $85 billion industry in the U.S. alone.  It is projected to reach a worldwide revenue of $533 billion by 2027.

The sky is no longer the limit

“Starfield” is one of the most anticipated video games in recent history. The soundtrack is equally epic. Read how video games are creating a new generation of classical music fans in this article by Aaron Hardwick in The Conversation .

Research shows that due to smartphones, gaming continues to increase across all demographics worldwide. Like opera in its golden era, the music, storytelling and emotional experience of playing video games in community is a normalized, global and cultural experience that is raising appreciation for artistic expression in symphonic music.

Aaron Hardwick is an assistant professor of music at Wake Forest and director of the University Symphony Orchestra. His research on gaming music suggests performance of video game music by American symphony orchestras has and will continue to open new pathways for listening, performance and composition that is increasing audience engagement in symphonic music.

What role does music play in the gaming experience?

Music plays many different roles in gaming. Game sound was birthed in tabletop games and saloon slot machines. Sound was the reward signifying that a player had won (or lost). Today, gaming sounds let players know when they succeed, accomplish something, or fail. The music and sound help support the narrative and provide the emotional underpinning for immersive play. Music can also function as an educational tool, directing players to complete certain actions, proceed a certain way, or avoid certain areas.  These are just a few of the functions of game audio.

We have come a long way since the 8-bit days of the Atari and Nintendo. Many of today’s games are massive (some are 500+ hours of play), have deep storylines, and complex characters that demand complex music. These stories represent a variety of histories and cultures. Creators want to ensure that the cultures and peoples are represented correctly. Gaming by its nature is inclusive and strives to be a safe space for all players to experience joy, discovery and wonder during gameplay. Those three things also have to exist to both compose beautiful music and experience it. 

How are video games raising awareness of symphonic music?

Gaming is immersive. Players interact with the software and hardware. The music and sound are layers that synergistically help drive narrative and gameplay. Like Beethoven writing a great symphony, or Puccini a great opera, the individual parts are key in the overall experience. While some video games use newly composed music, they may also use parts or entire works of existing classical music. In a recent interview at Ireland’s “Big Idea” Event , award-winning female conductor, video game composer and arranger Eimear Noone said, “More young people listen to orchestral music through their game consoles today than have ever listened to orchestral music in the history of music.” In 2018, a poll by The Royal Philharmonic found that more young people are finding out about classical music through video games than attending live concerts.

“Video game music stands on its own as an art form that can elevate live symphonic performance.” Aaron Hardwick

Gamers are enjoying classical music in the video gaming experience, but is gaming music making its way into performance halls? 

There have been many live video game music concerts worldwide. Most of them occur in Europe and Asia. In the U.S. the very first video game music concert took place in 2004 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It was a two-hour concert of music from the game “Final Fantasy” performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Master Chorale. In June 2023, the Royal Philharmonic performed their second, sold-out concert entitled “Video Games in Concert.” People are looking for diversity in programming by major symphony orchestras. When orchestras play music from games, it can bring the listener back to the experience of being immersed in the game.

Will more orchestras consider offering concerts featuring gaming music?

Yes. Conductors and concert curators are working with symphony orchestras and game publishers to bring more video game music to the concert stage. There is a growing interest in educationally-based, inclusive and immersive concert experiences for symphony orchestras and their audiences. Video game music stands on its own as an art form that can elevate live symphonic performance. As gaming continues to grow and expectations for more immersive experiences rise, a need for more complex scorewriting will continue. New compositional techniques and considerations for new harmonies and melodies have already been created to enhance the gaming experience.  The increase in video game soundtrack sales and listeners tells us that audiences care about game music independently of gameplay.

What’s next?

With the increasing complexity of immersive games and interactive audio, traditional compositional models of harmony, melody and form have shifted. Tools, technology and education for composers will continue to transform. The next frontier may be customized AI-generated soundtracks for the individual player. A soundtrack based on the player’s decisions, likes and dislikes – creating a truly individualized immersive experience. For the concert stage, live video game music performances will increase. By including video game music in concert hall performances, symphony orchestras can increase their appeal to the more than 3 billion people who are listening to musical compositions during their weekly gaming time .

You developed and teach Wake Forest’s first-ever class on Video Game Music.  What do you hope students will take away?

I hope students take away an overwhelming sense of the artistry that goes into the process of creating music for games. I also want them to know about the many job opportunities and pathways that the game industry provides–especially in audio and music. Video game music can help change the future of concert performance. I want my students to be aware of the complexities of video game music and the beautiful works created for all to enjoy – gamers and nongamers alike.

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Media Contact Kim McGrath [email protected]   |  336.758.3209   |   @KimMcGrath

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Lana Del Rey Welcomes Billie Eilish as Her Coachella Duet Guest, as Eilish Gushes Del Rey Is ‘the Reason for Half You Bitches’ Existence, Including Mine!’

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

• Taylor Swift’s Best ‘Tortured Poets Department’ Lyrics: ‘So Long, London,’ ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,’ ‘LOML,’ ‘The Black Dog’ and More 11 hours ago
• Stevie Nicks and Taylor Swift Both Wrote Revealing Poems for ‘Tortured Poets Department’ Album Package 11 hours ago
• Taylor Swift Renews Her Vows With Heartbreak in Audacious, Transfixing ‘Tortured Poets Department’: Album Review 12 hours ago

Lana Del Rey had a couple of heavily favored cameos during her Coachella performance, welcoming recent collaborators Jack Antonoff and Jon Batiste , both of whom will be fronting their own sets later in the weekend — but also one far less easily guessed guest, in the form of Billie Eilish , who turned up for a surprise pair of duets.

Taking to a terrace overlooking the massive stage, the duo first joined forces on Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes,” then turned their voices to “Video Games.” Both songs represent the first real breakout hits in these artists’ respective careers.

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“This is the reason for half you bitches’ existence — including mine!” Eilish further told the crowd. “Lana Del Rey, you guys, come on!”

Billie and Lana Del Rey performing “video games” at #Coachella pic.twitter.com/kgnX238vvK — Billie Eilish Society (@BillieSociety) April 13, 2024

The emergence of Eilish onto the stage followed a lengthy turn by Batiste as he and Del Rey recreated “Candy Necklace,” a song they worked up together for Del Rey’s most recent album, 2023’s “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.” The song was nominated for best pop duo’group performance at the 2024 Grammys. For most of the tune, Batiste played piano while she kneeled atop the instrument, but after she stepped down toward the end, they began spontaneously trading vocal lines.

“Sometimes you need somebody else’s spirit to move with you, and that’s always going to be Jon Batiste,” said the headliner.

Lana Del Rey and Jon Batiste performing “Candy Necklace” at #Coachella pic.twitter.com/q5OZ4lC0s7 — ROB CRAVE (@ROBCRAVEE) April 13, 2024

Her setlist included some live rarities, including opening with “Without You,” which fans say she has not performed since 2014, and her cover of Sublime’s “Doin’ Time,” which she hasn’t done since 2019 — possibly a nod to the fact that a contemporary iteration of Sublime is also booked for Coachella.

Del Rey didn’t need any of her guests to make an impression, most viewers on-site or watching via the YouTube livestream would agree. She had certainly one of the more memorable entrances and exits in Coachella history, riding in and out through the audience, via walled off sections splitting up the crowd, on the back of a motorcycle, sometimes standing and/or blowing kisses as she passed by. Her six dancers trailed her, also holding onto motorcycle drivers, in motorcades that lasted minutes.

Lana Del Rey arrives at her #Coachella headlining set perched on a motorcycle. pic.twitter.com/XNMsaJodEg — Variety (@Variety) April 13, 2024

The hour-and-a-half set was well received by the massive crowd, either in spite of or because of offering such different moods and musical fare than what had preceded it during the day. The live singing and instrumentation was just one obvious point of demarcation from some other Coachella artists seen throughout the day. Low on the highly aggro qualities emphasized by some other performers, the Del Rey show was all about gentle, if determined, feminine energy, with Del Rey and her female dancers and backup singers wearing dresses and singing softly or beauteously, while, of course, putting this low-key energy to use on the bold themes she’s famous for.

From the very first drone (or Steadicam) shots of her motorcades, on through to what almost counted as delicate pole dancing, to a succession of piano ballads in the second half of the set, her show was characterized by what might have been described a late-night vibe, even if it hadn’t started (on schedule) at 11:20 p.m. and lasted nearly till 1. That easygoing sense of summertime sadness is no easy thing to pull off in a climactic slot: Perhaps only Del Rey could turn in a headlining festival set this laid-back, or even sweet, and still utterly reassert herself as an alpha in the process.

📲| Lana Del Rey pole dancing at Coachella whilst Jon Batiste plays ‘Candy Necklace’ 🎵 pic.twitter.com/6sfP28pvfs — Season Of Lana (@SeasonOfLana) April 13, 2024

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Target’s version of 'The Tortured Poets Department' contains two special poems: Read and shop them here

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Taylor Swift’s Apple Music clues for ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ explained

When it comes to deciphering clues, Swifties are only second to Sherlock Holmes. Taylor Swift has given her fans plenty to speculate about in the run-up to the release of her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Last week, the singer released five Apple Music playlists , each featuring a selection of her own past songs, that correspond to the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) and may hint at the themes of her upcoming album.

Then, on April 13, Apple Music marked the final countdown to her 11th studio album, which drops April 19, with a string of tricky clues.

The music service updated its bio on the X platform to read, “A word a day til the @taylorswift13 album drops,” which sent Swifties into a sleuthing frenzy.

Fans quickly figured out the secret words were hidden in song lyrics stores on Apple Music. But the words’ meanings remain a mystery — for now.

Here’s what to know about the Taylor Swift Apple Music words, and what they might mean.

What are Taylor Swift’s Apple Music words?

Word no. 1: hereby .

After Apple Music announced the “word a day” challenge, fans scanned Swift’s Apple Music playlists. They discovered that the lyrics page for one song, “Glitch,” on the "Denial" playlist, featured random capital letters in the middle of words.

The capitalized letters, H, E, Y, B, E and R, spell “HEREBY” when unscrambled. 

Apple Music confirmed that “hereby” was the correct word the following day when they reposted the solved word from the official Taylor Nation X fan page.

Word No. 2: Conduct

On the second day of the challenge, it didn’t take long for Swifties to discover some randomly capitalized words in “Peace,” a song on Swift’s Apple Music playlist about the bargaining stage of grief.

The capitalized letters, once unscrambled, spell the word “conduct.” 

It’s unclear whether Swift means “conduct” as a verb, as in to direct or carry out, or as a noun, as in behavior.

Word No. 3: This

The song "Better Than Revenge" had the letters that spelled "this" capitalized.

Word No. 4: Post

This word was found in "Clean."

Word No. 5: We

This word was found in "We Were Happy."

Word No. 6: Mortem

This word was found in "Begin Again"

What is the final Apple Music message?

When unscrambled, the message says, "We hereby conduct this post mortem." What does it mean?! Time will certainly tell.

What does do the Apple Music clues mean?

Theories are swirling about what these cryptic clues could point to. Some fans think the words “hereby” and “conduct” have echoes of a court proceeding or legal document. 

“I hereby conduct an investigation of the conduct of…” one fan spitballed on X. 

The words “hereby” and “conduct” also reminded fans of the handwritten note Swift shared on Instagram when she announced the upcoming release of “The Tortured Poets Department” in February.

That note begins with lines that could either be lyrics or verses from a poem: “And so I enter into evidence / my tarnished coat of arms. / My muses, acquired like bruises / My talismans and charms …”

One X fan connected the phrase “enter into evidence” with the legal-sounding “hereby” and “conduct.”

“yall now that we have ‘hereby conduct’ in addition to ‘enter into evidence,’” one fan wrote on X . “I’m beginning to think this whole album is going to be her reviewing what happened and presenting it like she’s in court.”

Another fan echoed this theory, wondering if the “entire aesthetic of this album is circling around a courthouse and a trial.”

Other fans thought the words could have something to do with a wedding ceremony — as in, officiants conduct weddings, and traditional wedding ceremonies sometimes include the phrase, “I hereby pronounce you husband and wife.”

“‘hereby” being formal language fit for wedding vows or court rooms,” one person wrote on X . “i’m gonna lose my mind. hereby conduct WHAT.”

Meanwhile, some fans went down a Disney rabbit hole, and wondered if there could be a subtle connection between the word “hereby” and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” 

One of the songs on the album is called “But Daddy I Love Him,” which is almost identical to a line Ariel says to her father in the 1989 Disney movie: "Daddy, I love him!"

Later, the contract Ariel signs with the sea witch Ursula begins with the phrase “I hereby...” 

These possible subtle references to “The Little Mermaid” left some wondering whether Swift’s album could include the themes of giving away her voice in the name of love, like Ariel does.

Has Taylor Swift said anything about her Apple Music words?

Not directly — that would be too easy! — but the singer did drop another tantalizing clue on Instagram over the weekend.

“I wish I could un-recall how we almost had it all,” she captioned an Instagram post that showed her holding up a clear vinyl version of the album.

This post naturally sent Swifties spiraling. 

“i wish i could un-recall how we almost had it all ?!?!?!? oh i’m not ready for this album,” one fan wrote on X .

“I wish I could un-recall how we almost had it all,” another fan posted on X . “Ready to cry on April 19.”

Lindsay Lowe has been a regular contributor to TODAY.com since 2016, covering pop culture, style, home and other lifestyle topics. She is also working on her first novel, a domestic drama set in rural Regency England.

THE 10 BEST Moscow Upcoming Concerts & Shows

Concerts & shows in moscow.

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• 3rd Transport Ring (TTK)
• District Central (TsAO)
• Garden Ring
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• Good for a Rainy Day
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• Good for Couples
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• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Bolshoi Theatre

2. Modern Moscow Drama Theater

3. Catholic Cathedral of The Immaculate Conception of The Blessed Virgin Mary

4. State Kremlin Palace

5. Great Moscow State Circus

6. Moscow Academic Satire Theatre

7. Moscow International House of Music

8. E. Vakhtangov State Academical Theatre

9. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre

10. Russian Academic Youth Theatre

11. Theatre Kremlin Ballet

12. Moscow Operetta State Academic Theatre

13. Crocus City Hall

14. Central Academic Theater of The Russian Army

15. Circus of Miracles

16. New Stage of State Academical Bolshoi Theatre

17. Sergey Bezrukov's Theater

18. Teatrium on Serpukhovka Theater

19. Moon Theater

20. State Academical Theatre of Mossovet

21. Chekhov Art Theater

22. Moscow Conservatory

23. Moscow State Theater In The Southwest

24. Moscow Drama Theater named after S. Yesenin

25. Moscow Theatre on Taganka

26. Izmaylovo Concert Hall

27. MOST Theatre

28. Roman Viktyuk Theater

29. Novaya Opera Moscow Theater

30. V. Mayakovskiy The Moscow Academic Theater

What travelers are saying

• Bolshoi Theatre
• Catholic Cathedral of The Immaculate Conception of The Blessed Virgin Mary
• New Stage of State Academical Bolshoi Theatre
• E. Vakhtangov State Academical Theatre
• Modern Moscow Drama Theater
• Great Moscow State Circus
• Russian Academic Youth Theatre
• Russian National Ballet Kostroma
• Moscow Drama Theater named after S. Yesenin
• Nikulin Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoi Bulvar
• The Moscow Cultural Folklore Center
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• Morpheus Immersive Show

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Amazon Music launches Maestro, a new AI playlist generator—here’s your first look at the beta

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Today, Amazon Music announces a new feature that uses AI technology to make it easier and way more fun to build playlists you want, when you want. Meet Maestro: An AI playlist generator that helps you create any playlist you can think of—plus all the ones you can’t. This feature is rolling out in beta to a small number of U.S. customers on all tiers of Amazon Music.

To get started, all you need is a prompt idea—you can go for something short (or long), use emojis, emotions, activities, sounds, or choose from one of the suggested prompts. Feel like listening to songs that sound like 🤖? Maestro’s got you. Within seconds, you’ll be able to admire your use of emojis to evoke the perfect songs, and get a unique-to-you playlist that brings a selection of electronic and robot-like tracks to life. All that’s left to do is listen to what you created, save it, share it with friends to listen, and they can create their own to share back.

Here are some Maestro prompts we’re loving right now:

• 😭 and eating 🍝
• Make my 👶 a genius
• Myspace era hip-hop
• Music my grandparents made out to
• I tracked my friends and they’re all hanging out without me

As you play around, just remember that the technology behind Maestro is new and won’t always get it right the first time. We’ve also implemented systems to proactively block offensive language and inappropriate prompts. We’ll be applying your feedback, and continuing to make Maestro the best and safest experience for everyone.

Maestro is rolling out in beta to a subset of Free, Prime, and Unlimited Amazon Music customers in the U.S. on iOS and Android mobile apps. Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can listen to their playlists instantly and save for later, while Prime members and ad-supported customers can listen to 30-second previews of their playlists before saving. We plan to expand access to more customers over time.

How to get started

• Download the latest version of the Amazon Music mobile app
• Customers who are in the beta will see Maestro either on their home screen, or when they tap the plus sign where they usually create a new playlist
• Talk or type your playlist idea
• Tap "Let's go!" to stream your playlist
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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

00s pop punk icon ‘didn’t want to be here’ anymore before announcing ‘final tour’

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Bowling For Soup frontman Jaret Reddick is back on top of the world over a decade after thinking he didn’t ‘want to be here’ anymore.

The 1985 singer , who is still touring and releasing music with the pop punk legends as well as his own country music solo project, was in a bad place in 2013, as he struggled to deal with the fallout from his divorce which sparked his mental health struggles.

Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk , he candidly said: ‘You and I have talked about this before, but that was the thing in 2013 when we were we did the “farewell tour” over here [in the UK] and we took about a year off.

‘That was what was going on, I didn’t know if I could do it anymore. Like, I couldn’t. Getting up in front of people did not was not something that that sounded like something I could do.

‘And I really didn’t know, really, if I even wanted to be here, you know? And so it was brutal.’

The band – whose lineup is completed today by Gary Wiseman, Chris Burney and Rob Felicetti – performed what was billed as their final UK tour towards the end of 2013, but three years later they were back playing venues across the country.

The 52-year-old musician has been open about his personal struggles, discussing openly discussing them on stage to this day, particular when he performs BFS song Turbulence at shows.

‘That was just a really rough time. The scary thing is that this thing that I love so much, you know, entertaining people making people smile – I had no desire to do it,’ he explained of the decision to step back 11 years ago.

‘So I knew something was wrong with me, that it wasn’t something like, you know, you’re just having a bad year or something like that. Because this is my life, you know?

‘Besides my wife and kids, I love this more than anything in the world. And so yeah, helped me to realise that, “Jaret, you got you got some stuff going on, dude, you got to get s**t together.” ‘

He found ‘the right doctor’, and has focused on going to therapy and ‘taking his medications’, which has been ‘super helpful’ in getting him to a much happier place, as he’s been raising a young family with his second wife.

Jaret admitted ‘there’s no doubt’ he’s in a much happier place, and having interviewed him several times over the past decades, it’s evident in his eyes.

This year marks 30 years since the release of Bowling For Soup’s self titled debut, and their recent UK tour with best friends Less Than Jake celebrated two decades since A Hangover You Don’t Deserve, which featured the iconic single 1985.

‘We party,’ he insisted, when asked if touring has toned down over the years. ‘We all turn that on and off. When I’m home, I’m pretty normal dad.’

‘But it’s like, we get on that bus and instantly we’re all 23 again, and you go full blast,’ he added, while conceding that they’ve made some lifestyle choices after he and drummer Gary have had their share of health issues over the last couple of years.

‘We understand where we are age wise. So, we try and get a good healthy meal in at least once a day – which is not as easy as you think,’ he laughed.

With 12 studio albums in the bag, and constant tours, many bands may rest on their laurels and take their foot off the gas, but BFS have kept things rolling.

Last summer, they dropped their second Songs People Actually Liked compilation, this time looking at Taylor Swift style re-recordings of their most popular tracks 2004 to 2009.

‘This is just a big touring year for Bowling For Soup,’ he admitted. ‘But music wise, we have a couple of things coming up. We’ve got a couple of cover songs that we’re going to release throughout this year.

‘And we have two new originals, two new Bowling For Soup songs recorded. We’re just not really sure what to do with them yet, you know?’

The changing music industry means more thought has to go into releasing music, as the band want to make sure they capitalise on each drop.

‘You have to be careful about how you release music because really, you kind of get this one chance for everybody to listen to it. And then it’s gone,’ Jaret pondered.

‘So I’ve been telling the guys, I think we need to be focused on putting something out next year.’

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If you're a young person, or concerned about a young person, you can also contact PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide UK. Their HOPELINK digital support platform is open 24/7, or you can call 0800 068 4141 , text  07860039967 or email:  [email protected] between the hours of 9am and midnight.

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The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial

Here’s what has happened so far in the unprecedented proceedings against a former u.s. president..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

It’s the first day of the Trump trial and just walking out the door in my house. It’s a beautiful day, 6:11 AM. The thing that keeps running through my head is it’s kind of amazing that hundreds of jurors are going to show up at the Manhattan courthouse. And some of them are going to know what they’re there for — probably talking to their friends, their relatives about it.

Some of them are going to learn this morning talking to other jurors in line, asking what all the fuss is about. But I really do imagine that there’s going to be at least one potential juror who, headphones on, getting into court. Here they’re going to be there for the first criminal trial of Donald J. Trump. And just, I mean, how would you react?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, what it’s been like inside the lower Manhattan courtroom, where political and legal history are being made? My colleague, Jonah Bromwich, on the opening days of the first criminal trial of a US President. It’s Thursday, April 18.

Is that his mic? Hi, there.

Hello. How are you?

I’m doing good.

OK. Thank you for coming in, Jonah —

Thank you for having me.

— in the middle of a trial. Can you just explain why you’re able to even be here?

Sure. So we happen to be off on Wednesdays during trial, so.

We being not “The New York Times,” but the courts.

That’s right.

Which is why we’re taping with you. And because we now have two full court days of this history-making trial now under our belts. And the thing about this trial that’s so interesting is that there are no cameras in the courtroom for the wider world.

There’s no audio recordings. So all we really have is and your eyes and your notebook, maybe your laptop. And so we’re hoping you can reconstruct for us the scene of the first two days of this trial and really the highlights.

Yeah, I’d be happy to. So on Monday morning, I left the subway. It’s before 7:00 AM. The sun is just rising over these grandiose court buildings in lower Manhattan.

I’m about to turn left onto Center Street. I’m right in front of the big municipal building.

And I turn onto Center Street. That’s where the courthouses are.

I’m crossing.

And I expected to see a big crowd. And it was even bigger than I had anticipated.

Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Now, I finally see the crowd.

You have camera banks. You have reporters. You have the beginnings of what will eventually become a protest. And you have this most New York thing, which is just a big crowd of people.

[CHUCKLES]: Who just know something is going on.

That’s right. And what they know is going on is, of course, the first trial of an American president.

All right, I’m passing the camera, folks. Camera, camera, camera, camera. Here we go.

Let’s start with Sharon Crowley live outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

I want to get right to ABC’S Aaron Katersky who’s outside of the courthouse.

Robert Costa is following it outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Bob, I saw the satellite trucks lined up all in a row. Good morning.

Talk to us how we got here exactly.

So this is the case that was brought by the Manhattan district attorney. So prosecutors have accused Donald Trump of covering up the actions of his former fixer, Michael Cohen, after Cohen paid hush money to Stormy Daniels. Stormy Daniels had a story about having had sex with Donald Trump, which Trump has always denied.

Cohen paid her money, and then Trump reimbursed Cohen. And prosecutors say that Trump essentially defrauded the American people because he hid this information that could have been very important for the election from those people when he reimbursed Cohen.

Right. And as I remember it, he also misrepresented what that reimbursement was. Claimed it was a legal fee when, in fact, it was just reimbursing Michael Cohen for a hush money payment.

Exactly, yeah. He definitely didn’t say reimbursement for hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. It’s a cover up case. It’s a case about hiding information you don’t want people to see.

Right. And of course, the context of all this is that it is in the middle of a presidential election. It’s 2016. Trump wants to keep this secret, prosecutors allege, so that the American public doesn’t know about it and potentially hold it against him.

Right. And prosecutors are telling a story about election interference. They’re saying that Trump interfered with an election. And Trump himself is also using the phrase “election interference.” But he’s painting the trial itself as election interference as he now runs again in 2024.

Fascinating.

And because we’re in Manhattan, and because the jury pool is going to be largely Democratic, and the judge is a Democrat, and the district attorney is a Democrat, Trump keeps claiming he cannot get a fair shake. This is democrat central. And in democrat central, Trump doesn’t have a chance.

OK. So, what happens once you actually enter the courthouse?

Outside, there’s all this fanfare. But inside, it’s a little bit business as usual. So I go up to the 15th floor, and I walk into the courtroom, and I sit down, and it’s the same old courtroom. And we’re sitting and waiting for the former president.

Around 9:30, Trump walks in. He looks thin. He looks a little tired, kind of slumping forward, as if to say with his body like let’s get this over with. Here we go.

The judge walks in a little bit after that. And we think we’re all set for the trial to start, but that’s not what happens here. And in fact, there are a series of legal arguments about what the trial is going to look like and what evidence is going to be allowed in.

So, for example, prosecutors ask that they be allowed to admit into evidence headlines from “The National Enquirer” that were attacks on Trump’s 2016 opponents — on Ted Cruz, on Marco Rubio, on Ben Carson.

Because prosecutors are in some sense putting Trump’s 2016 campaign on trial. These headlines are a big part of that because what prosecutors say they show is that Trump had this ongoing deal with “The National Enquirer.” And the publisher would promote him, and it would publish damaging stories about his opponents. And then crucially, it would protect Trump from negative stories. And that’s exactly what prosecutors say happened with Stormy Daniels. That “The National Enquirer” tipped Cohen off about Stormy Daniels trying to sell her story of having had sex with Donald Trump, which he denies. And that led to the hush money payment to her. So what prosecutors are doing overall with these headlines is establishing a pattern of conduct. And that conduct, they say, was an attempt to influence the election in Trump’s favor.

And the judge agrees. He’s going to admit this evidence. And this is a pretty big win for the prosecution. But even though they win that one, they’re not winning everything.

They lose some important arguments here. One of them was that after the Access Hollywood tape came out, there were allegations of sexual assault against Donald Trump. And you know this, Michael, because you reported two of them — two of the three in question at this very trial.

Prosecutors had hoped to talk about those during trial in front of the jury to show the jurors that the Trump campaign was really, really focused on pushing back against bad press in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump seemed to describe sexual assault. That was a big problem for the campaign. Campaign did everything it could to push back, including against these allegations that surfaced in the wake of the tape.

But the judge, saying that the allegations are hearsay — that they’re based on the women’s stories — says absolutely not. That is incredibly prejudicial to the defendant.

Interesting.

And that Donald Trump would actually not get a fair trial were those allegations to be mentioned. And so he will not let those in. The jurors will not hear about them.

So this is a setback, of course, for the prosecution, a victory for Trump’s legal team.

It’s a setback. And it also just shows you how these pre-trial motions shape the context of the trial. Think of the trial as a venue like a theater or an athletic contest of some sort. And these pre-trial motions are about what gets led into the arena and what stays out. The sexual assault allegations — out. “The National Enquirer” headlines — in.

OK. And how is Trump sitting there at the defense table reacting to these pre-trial motion rulings from the judge?

Well, as I’ve just said, this is very important stuff for his trial.

Right. Hugely important.

But it’s all happening in legal language, and I’m decoding it for you. But if you were sitting there listening to it, you might get a little lost, and you might get a little bored. And Trump, who is not involved in these arguments, seems to fall asleep.

Seems to fall asleep — you’re seeing this with your own eyes.

What we’re seeing, overall, including our colleague, Maggie Haberman, who’s in the overflow room and has a direct view of Trump’s face — I’m sitting behind him in the courtroom, so I can’t see his face that well.

You guys are double teaming this.

That’s right. I’m sitting behind him, but Maggie is sitting in front of him. And what she sees is not only that his eyes are closed. That wouldn’t get you to he is asleep.

And we have to be really careful about reporting that he’s asleep, even if it seems like a frivolous thing. But what happens is that his head is dropping down to his chest, and then it’s snapping back up. So you’ve seen that, when a student —

I’ve done that.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah. We all kind of know that feeling of snapping awake suddenly. And we see the head motion, and it happens several times.

Lawyers kind of bothering him, not quite shaking him, but certainly trying to get his attention. And that head snapping motion, we felt confident enough to report that Trump fell asleep.

During his own criminal trial’s opening day.

Does someone eventually wake him up?

He wakes up. He wakes up. And in fact, in the afternoon, he’s much more animated. It’s almost as if he wants to be seen being very much awake.

Right. So once these pre-trial motions are ruled on and Trump is snapped back to attention, what happens?

Well, what happens in the courtroom is that the trial begins. The first trial of an American president is now in session. And what marks that beginning is jurors walking into the room one by one — many of them kind of craning their necks over at Donald Trump, giggling, raising their eyebrows at each other, filing into the room, and being sworn in by the judge. And that swearing in marks the official beginning of the trial.

The beginning is jury selection, and it’s often overlooked. It’s not dramatized in our kind of courtroom dramas in the same way. But it’s so important. It’s one of the most important parts of the case. Because whoever sits on the jury, these are the 12 people who are going to decide whether Trump is guilty or whether Trump is innocent.

So how does jury selection actually look and feel and go?

So, jury selection is a winnowing process. And in order to do that, you have to have these people go through a bunch of different hurdles. So the first hurdle is, after the judge describes the case, he asks the group — and there are just short of 100 of them — whether they can be fair and impartial. And says that if they can’t, they should leave. And more than half the group is instantly gone.

So after we do this big mass excusal, we’re left with the smaller group. And so now, jurors are getting called in smaller groups to the jury box. And what they’re going to do there is they’re going to answer this questionnaire.

And this part of the process is really conducted by the judge. The lawyers are involved. They’re listening, but they’re not yet asking questions of the jurors themselves.

And what’s on the questionnaire?

Well, it’s 42 questions. And the questions include, their education, their professional histories, their hobbies, what they like to do whether you’re a member of QAnon or Antifa.

Whether you’re far left or far right.

That’s right. Whether you’ve read “The Art of the Deal,” Trump’s book, which some prospective jurors had.

Right. It was a bestseller in its time.

That’s right. And some of it can be answered in yes/no questions, but some of it can be answered more at length. So some of the prospective jurors are going very, very fast. Yes, no, no, no, yes.

Right. Because this is an oral questionnaire.

That’s right. But some of them are taking their time. They’re expanding on their hobbies. So the potential juror in seat 3, for example, is talking about her hobbies. And she says some running, hiking. And then she said, I like to go to the club, and it got a huge laugh. And you get that kind of thing in jury selection, which is one of the reasons it’s so fun. It’s the height of normality in this situation that is anything but normal.

Right. The most banal answer possible delivered in front of the former president And current Republican nominee for president.

Well, that’s one of the fascinating parts about all this, right? is that they’re answering in front of Trump. And they’re answering questions about Trump in front of Trump. He doesn’t react all that much. But whenever someone says they’ve read “The Art of the Deal —” and there are a few of those — he kind of nods appreciatively, smiles. He likes that. It’s very clear. But because there are so many questions, this is taking forever, especially when people are choosing to answer and elaborate and digress.

This is when you fall asleep.

This Is. When I would have fallen asleep if I were a normal person.

And by the end of the day. Where does jury selection stand?

Well, the questionnaire is another device for shrinking that jury pool. And so the questionnaire has almost these little obstacles or roadblocks, including, in fact, a question that jurors have seen before — whether they would have any problem being fair and impartial?

Hmm. And they ask it again.

They’re asked it again. And they’re asked in this more individualized way. The judge is questioning them. They’re responding.

So, remember that woman who said she liked to go to the club got a big laugh. She reaches question 34. And question 34 reads, “Do you have any strong opinions or firmly-held beliefs about former President Donald Trump or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?” She said, yes, she does have an opinion that would prevent her from being fair and impartial. And she, too, is excused.

So that’s how it works. People answer the questionnaire, and they get excused in that way, or they have a scheduling conflict once they reach the jury box. And so to answer your question, Michael. At the end of day one, given all these problems with the questionnaire and the length of time it’s taken to respond to and people getting dismissed based on their answers, there is not a single juror seated for this trial.

And it’s starting to look like this is going to be a really hard case for which to find an impartial jury.

That’s the feeling in the room, yeah.

We’ll be right back.

So Jonah, let’s turn to day 2. What does jury selection look like on Tuesday?

So when the day begins, it looks almost exactly like it looked when the day ended on Monday. We’re still with the questionnaire, getting some interesting answers. But even though it feels like we’re going slow, we are going.

And so we’ve gone from about 100 people to now there’s about 24 the room there’s 18 the jury box. And by the time we hit lunch, all those people have answered all those questions, and we are ready for the next step in the process.

Voir dire. And what it is the heart of jury selection. This is the point where the lawyers themselves finally get to interview the jurors. And we get so much information from this moment because the lawyers ask questions based on what they want out of the jurors.

So the prosecution is asking all these different kinds of questions. The first round of wajir is done by a guy named Joshua Steinglass, a very experienced trial lawyer with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. And he’s providing all these hypotheticals. I’ll give you one example because I found this one really, really interesting. He provides a hypothetical about a man who wants his wife killed and essentially hires a hitman to do it. And what he asked the jurors is, if that case were before you, would you be able to see that the man who hired the hitman was a part of this crime?

And of course, what he’s really getting at is, can you accept that even though Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer, made this payment, Trump is the guy who hired him to do it?

That’s right. If there are other people involved, will jurors still be able to see Donald Trump’s hands behind it all?

Fascinating. And what were some of the responses?

People mostly said, yes, we accept that. So that’s how the prosecution did it.

But the defense had a totally different method of voir dire. They were very focused on their client and people’s opinions about their client.

So what kind of questions do we get from them?

So the lawyer, Todd Blanche, is asking people, what do you make of President Trump? What do you think of President Trump?

And what are some of the responses to that?

Well, there’s this incredible exchange with one of the jurors who absolutely refuses to give his opinion of Donald Trump. They go back and forth and back and forth. And the juror keeps insisting you don’t need to know my opinion of him. All you need to know is that I’m going to be fair and impartial, like I said. And Blanch pushes, and the guy pushes back. And the only way the guy budges is he finally kind of confesses almost at the end that, yes, I am a Democrat, and that’s all we get.

And what ends up happening to this potential juror?

Believe it or not, he got dismissed.

[LAUGHS]: I can believe it. And of course, it’s worth saying that this guy and everybody else is being asked that question just feet from Trump himself.

That’s right. And you might think you were going to get a really kind of spicy, like, popcorn emoji-type exchange from that. But because these are now jurors who have said they can be fair and impartial, who, to some extent, want to be on this jury or at least wouldn’t mind being on this jury, they’re being very restrained.

Mostly, what they are emphasizing — much like that guy just described dis — is that they can be fair. They can be impartial. There’s one woman who gives this really remarkable answer.

She says, I thought about this last night. I stayed up all night. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about whether I could be fair. It’s really important to me, and I can.

What ends up happening to that particular juror?

She’s also dismissed. And she’s dismissed without any reason at all. The defense decides it doesn’t like her. It doesn’t want her on the jury. And they have a certain number of chances to just get rid of jurors — no questions asked.

Other jurors are getting dismissed for cause — I’m doing air quotes with my hands — which means that the lawyers have argued they actually revealed themselves through their answers or through old social media posts, which are brought up in the courtroom, to be either non-credible, meaning they’ve said they can be fair and they can’t, or somehow too biased to be on the jury.

Wait, can I just dial into that for a second? Are lawyers researching the jurors in real time going online and saying — I’m making this up — but Jonah Bromwich is a potential juror, and I’m going to go off into my little corner of the courtroom and Google everything you’ve ever said? Is that what’s happening in the room?

Yeah, there’s a whole profession dedicated to that. It’s called jury consultant, and they’re very good at finding information on people in a hurry. And it certainly looked as if they were in play.

Did a social media post end up getting anybody kicked off this jury?

Yes, there were posts from 2016 era internet. You’ll remember that time as a very heated one on the internet, Facebook memes are a big thing. And so there’s all kinds of lock him up type memes and rhetoric. And some of the potential jurors here have used those. And those jurors are dismissed for a reason.

So we have these two types of dismissals, right? We have these peremptory dismissals — no reason at all given. And we have for cause dismissals.

And the process is called jury selection. But you don’t actually get selected for a jury. The thing is to make it through all these obstacles.

You’re left over.

Right. And so when certain jurors are not dismissed, and they’ve made it through all these stages, by the end of the day, we have gone from zero juror seated to seven jurors who will be participating in Donald Trump’s trial.

Got it. And without going through all seven, just give us a little bit of a sketch of who so far is on this jury. What stands out?

Well, not that much stands out. So we’ve got four men. We’ve got three women. One lives on the Upper East Side. One lives in Chelsea. Obviously, they’re from all over Manhattan.

They have these kind of very normal hobbies like spending time with family and friends. They have somewhat anonymous jobs. We’ve got two lawyers. We’ve got someone who’s worked in sales.

So there’s not that much identifying information. And that’s not an accident . One of the things that often happens with jury selection, whether it be for Donald Trump or for anyone else, is the most interesting jurors — the jurors that kind of catch your attention during the process — they get picked off because they are being so interesting that they interest one or the other side in a negative way. And soon they’re excused. So most of the jurors who are actually seated —

Are not memorable.

Are not that memorable, save one particular juror.

OK. All right, I’ll bite. What do I need to know about that one particular juror?

So let me tell you about a prospective juror who we knew as 374, who will now be juror number five. She’s a middle school teacher from Harlem. And she said that she has friends who have really strong opinions about Trump, but she herself does not. And she insisted several times, I am not a political person.

And then she said this thing that made me quite surprised that the prosecution was fine with having her on the jury. She said, quote, “President Trump speaks his mind, and I’d rather that than someone who’s in office who you don’t know what they’re thinking.”

Hmm. So she expressed approval of President Trump.

Yeah, it was mild approval. But the thing is, especially for the defense in this trial, all you need is one juror. One juror can tie up deliberations in knots, and you can end with a hung jury. And this is actually something that I saw firsthand. In 2019, I was the foreperson on a jury.

How you like that?

Yeah. And the trial was really complicated, but I had thought while we were doing the trial, oh, this is going to be a really easy decision. I thought the defendant in that case was guilty. So we get into deliberations, but there’s this one juror who keeps gumming up the works every time we seem to be making progress, getting a conversation started.

This juror proverbially throws up his hands and says, I am not convicting. This man is innocent. And we talked and we talked. And as the foreperson, I was trying to use all my skills to mediate.

But any time we made any progress, this guy would blow it up. And long story short, hung jury — big victory for the defense lawyer. And we come out of the room. And she points at this juror. The guy —

The defense lawyer.

The defense lawyer points at this juror who blew everything up. And she said, I knew it. I knew I had my guy.

OK. I don’t want to read too much into what you said about that one juror. But should I read between the lines to think that if there’s a hung jury, you wonder if it might be that juror?

That’s what everyone in the courtroom is wondering not just about this juror, but about every single person who was selected. Is this the person who swings the case for me? Is this the person who swings the case against me?

These juries are so complex. It’s 12 people who don’t know each other at the start of the trial and, by the end of the trial, have seen each other every morning and are experiencing the same things, but are not allowed to have talked about the case until deliberations start. In that moment when deliberations start —

You’re going to learn a whole lot about each other.

That’s right. There’s this alchemical moment where suddenly, it all matters. Every personality selected matters. And that’s why jury selection is so important. And that’s why these last two days are actually one of the most important parts of this trial.

OK. So by my math, this trial will require five more jurors to get to 12. I know also they’re going to need to be alternates. But from what you’re saying what looked like a really uphill battle to get an impartial jury or a jury that said it could be impartial — and Trump was very doubtful one could be found — has turned out to not be so hard to find.

That’s right. And in fact, we went from thinking, oh, boy, this is going awfully slowly, to the judge himself saying we could be doing opening arguments as soon as Monday morning. And I think that highlights something that’s really fascinating both about this trial and about the jury selection process overall.

One of the things that lawyers have been arguing about is whether or not it’s important to figure out what jurors’ opinions about Donald Trump are. And the prosecution and, I think, the judge have really said, no, that’s not the key issue here. The key issue is not whether or not people have opinions about Donald Trump.

Right. Who doesn’t have an opinion about Donald Trump?

Exactly. They’re going to. Automatically, they’re going to. The question is whether or not they can be fair and impartial. And the seven people we already have seated, and presumably the five people that we’re going to get over the next few days and however many alternates — we expect six — are all going to have answered that question, not I hate Trump; I love Trump, but I can weigh in on the former president’s innocence or guilt, and I can do it as fairly as humanly possible.

Now, Trump is not happy about this. He said after court yesterday, quote, We have a highly conflicted judge, and he’s rushing this trial.” And I think that he is going to see these beats of the system the criminal justice system as it works on him as he is experiencing it as unfair. That is typically how he talks about it and how he views it.

But what he’s getting is what defendants get. This is the system in New York, in the United States. This is its answer to how do you pick a fair jury? Well, you ask people can you be fair? And you put them through this process, and the outcome is 12 people.

And so I think we’re going to see this over and over again in this trial. We’re going to see Trump experience the criminal justice system.

And its routines.

Yeah, openings, witnesses, evidence, closings. He’s going to go through all of it. And I think, at every turn, it makes sense to expect him to say, well, this is not fair. Well, the judge is doing something wrong. Well, the prosecutors are doing something wrong. Well, the jury is doing something wrong.

But at the end of the day, he’s going to be a defendant, and he’s going to sit, mostly silently if his lawyers can make him do that, and watch this process play itself out. So the system is going to try and treat him like any other defendant, even though, of course —

— he’s not. And he is going to fight back like no other defendant would, like no other defendant could. And that tension, him pushing against the criminal justice system as it strives to treat him, as it would anyone else, is going to be a defining quality of this trial.

Well, Jonah, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Of course. Thanks so much for having me. [MUSIC PLAYING]

PS, have you ever fallen asleep in a trial?

I have not.

[CHUCKLES]:

Here’s what else you need to know today.

It’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act. We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said —

During a visit to Jerusalem on Wednesday, Britain’s foreign Secretary left little doubt that Israel would retaliate against Iran for last weekend’s aerial attack, despite pressure from the United States and Britain to stand down. The question now is what form that retaliation will take? “The Times” reports that Israel is weighing several options, including a direct strike on Iran, a cyber attack, or targeted assassinations. And —

Look, history judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now, critical time on the world stage.

In a plan that could threaten his job, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will put a series of foreign aid bills up for a vote this weekend. The bills, especially for aid to Ukraine, are strongly opposed by far-right House Republicans, at least two of whom have threatened to try to oust Johnson over the plan.

I can make a selfish decision and do something that’s different, but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do. I really — [MUSIC PLAYING]

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Will Reid, Lynsea Garrison, and Rob Zubko. It was edited by Paige Cowett, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly Lake.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

• April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonah E. Bromwich

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Will Reid ,  Lynsea Garrison and Rob Szypko

Edited by Paige Cowett

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Marion Lozano and Elisheba Ittoop

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Political and legal history are being made in a Lower Manhattan courtroom as Donald J. Trump becomes the first former U.S. president to undergo a criminal trial.

Jonah Bromwich, who covers criminal justice in New York, explains what happened during the opening days of the trial, which is tied to Mr. Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star.

On today’s episode

Jonah E. Bromwich , who covers criminal justice in New York for The New York Times.

Background reading

Here’s a recap of the courtroom proceedings so far.

Mr. Trump’s trial enters its third day with seven jurors chosen.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

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Doja Cat at Coachella review – an electrifying tour de force

Empire Polo Club, Indio, California

Festival headliner delivered an A-game set, ignoring some of her mainstream hits yet bringing enough energy to power what some have called a middling year

D oja Cat took the Coachella main stage as the last official act to perform on Sunday’s bill, becoming the first female rapper to headline the festival. (She’s also only the second Black woman to do so, after Beyoncé in 2018.) Her closer rounded out a Sunday showcase of powerhouse female performers such as Reneé Rapp and Kesha duetting the recession banger TiK ToK – changing the opening line to “wake up in the morning saying fuck P Diddy” – and Victoria Monet grinding through a slick and ultra-sexy set, at one point receiving artfully-simulated oral sex from a background dancer.

It would be diplomatic to say that Doja maintains a distant relationship with her fans, who call themselves kittenz, though their fave does not sanction this moniker. Doja has told those who engage in parasocial relationships with the idea of her to “get off your phone and get a job” and “rethink everything” about their lives. Such boundary-setting has cost her some Instagram followers – around 300,000, to be exact, after going off on them in a social media tirade – but she could care less. “I feel free,” she wrote in an Instagram story after the snafu last year.

So it’s not surprising that Doja kept the stage banter to a minimum; about an hour in, she allowed a cursory, but seemingly genuine, “Thank you everyone.” That was about it. Still, Doja didn’t need to give us the cliched “it’s always been a dream to perform on this stage” monologue to show a deep respect for her audience. She did so by putting on a tour de force of a set, one that merged her musical talents with a clear knack for spectacle. I suspect it will become a staple on best-of-Coachella lists for years to come.

Doja first appeared by popping up on the stage’s extended catwalk, opening the night further back in the crowd, so those of us who hadn’t made it to the pit got a good look at her, too. She first wore an all-white hazmat suit. I thought it was a little Patrick Bateman; the girl next to me remarked that Doja looked like “a whole-ass sperm”.

Whatever the inspiration, she took that off pretty quickly, revealing extra-long blonde hair that went well past her butt, and a matching tunic also made of hair. Her background dancers matched in their own full hair suits, and when paired with their syncopated moves, the vibe was a little Bob Fosse meets Fraggle Rock. The South African a capella group The Joy encircled Doja during Shutcho, a diss track for haters that the group turned into a melodic, choir-like crescendo.

Though Doja is a very 2020s pop star, terminally online and well-versed in the meme ecosystem, she didn’t rely on many gimmicks to make it through her set. The stage design was sparse and industrial. Her numerous outfit changes kept the same off-white palette, very Virgil Abloh-esque aesthetic: sculptural, sleek, architectural. My favorite look was a shaggy bikini set by Entire Studios that could have been a reference to Jane Fonda as Barbarella, or just a sartorial nod to the concept of merkins.

Doja tapped A$AP Rocky, 21 Savage and a giant recreation of a T-Rex fossil for guest stars. During her penultimate song, Paint the Town Red, which samples Dionne Warwick’s 1963 hit Walk on By, I wondered for a moment if Doja was about to make my entire life and bring out the octogenarian legend herself. Instead, she did perhaps the opposite of that and rolled around in a sapphic mud pit with her background dancers for the finale, Wet Vagina.

Though Doja found mainstream success in the pop arena with early pandemic groovers like Kiss Me More and Say So, her Coachella set stuck to rap. Understandably, much of it came from her latest release, last year’s Scarlet. She described the album as a“masculine” response to her desire of moving away from pop princess-dom.

This meant that the fans who were there for Doja’s more accessible fare may have been disappointed by the exclusion of those songs – when the set ended, many mulled around the stage as if they were sure she’d come back rearing into Say So. (Again, she didn’t.)

But to me, it didn’t matter: Doja followed her gut, performed the songs she felt represented her best, all presented in an energetic, top-of-game triumph. For all the endless chatter this year about a lackluster lineup, Doja proved she’s worthy of a headline spot, so long as the people in charge – and, crucially, her fans – trust her to do it her own way.

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Watch: Chris Stapleton serenades John Stamos on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' in hilarious performance

On Wednesday night, Chris Stapleton hit the stage at "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" for a game of Wing It & Sing It, where he sang lyrics he'd never seen on the fly. Little did he know the performance would include a surprise appearance from none other than John Stamos .

Stapleton also performed his song "It Takes a Woman," which he had never performed live before, on the show's outdoor stage and sat down with Kimmel to chat about his career and whiskey brand.

"I was very tickled to learn that you're a fan of the show 'Full House,' or at least you were when you were a kid," Kimmel said to Stapleton before explaining the rules of the singing game.

"Sure. Yeah," Stapleton responded.

"That is the theme for our song tonight," Kimmel said.

"We've written lyrics, and these are lyrics that Chris has not seen ... now the music is gonna be up to you," Kimmel added. He said that Stapleton would play the guitar, make up a melody and sing the never-before-seen cue card lyrics as he unveils them one by one.

Stapleton began singing the cue cards in his recognizable gritty manner while strumming underneath.

"I've sung many songs about folks in my life / My family, my band, my friends and my wife / But the one human being that I love the most / Is an American treasure named John," and then said into the mic, "John Stamos."

On the screen behind them, a large image of Stamos appeared as Kimmel and Stapleton cracked up.

And from there on out, the ballad was an homage to the California-born "Full House" actor.

The song quipped on Stamos' Greek ethnicity and good looks. At one point, the screen showed an image of Stapleton's face cropped onto both Olsen twins, fellow "Full House" stars, alongside Stamos.

Stapleton sang, "With a sweet impish grin, those dimples, that chin / Those pretty green eyes, those shoulders, those thighs / An incredible bod on my Greek golden god. ..."

The line that really got Stapleton laughing, almost unable to keep singing, was "I'd give my left nut to be part of his squad."

Throughout the song, Stapleton's earnest and soulful voice impressed, alongside his musical improvisation skills.

Toward the end of the tune, the whole crowd sang Stamos' name together three times and he appeared in the studio, sauntering out in a white suit, red sunglasses and a Chris Stapleton T-shirt.

Stapleton beamed and gave Stamos a hug before serenading him with a final few lines.

The song ended with more hugs and an image on the back wall of Stamos and Stapleton in a red heart together with "BFF" written on it.

Through the clever cue cards and lyrical game, perhaps Jimmy Kimmel inspired a new budding friendship between the actor and country singer this Wednesday evening.