★★★★☆
With no gaming enthusiasts among The Scoop’s Brisbane reviewing team, I approached The Music of Video Games by Queensland Symphony Orchestra from the perspective of a curious outsider.
As a Gen Xer, my regular gaming days are long behind me, but the concert proves you don’t need an encyclopaedic knowledge of video games to appreciate the artistry of their music.
The evolution of video game music has unfolded almost in parallel with my own life. As a child of the ‘80s, I spent many hours after school playing Pong and Space Invaders on my neighbour’s Atari. Space Invaders was revolutionary for its time, introducing one of gaming’s first completely continuous soundtracks.
Today, video game music has become an art form in its own right. Dedicated composers now create sweeping orchestral scores for blockbuster titles, with concert halls regularly celebrating the genre. With the Grammy Awards now recognising excellence in video game soundtracks, what began as a handful of bleeps has evolved into music worthy of the symphony stage.
Spanning more than four decades of gaming history, The Music of Video Games, under Guest Conductor Leonard Weiss alongside host Meena Shamaly, travels from the spirited melodies of Sonic the Hedgehog to the rousing lyricism of Final Fantasy IX and the haunting beauty of Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture.
The selections demonstrate just how diverse video game composition has become. Whether familiar or completely new, each score in The Music of Video Games invites the audience into a richly imagined world.
Act One showcases the genre’s remarkable stylistic range, from the epic sweep of Metal Gear Solid to the playful charm of Angry Birds featuring impressive harp work from Emily Granger. The mood shifts completely with L.A. Noire, whose sultry jazz influences are beautifully realised through Tetsuya Lawson’s evocative trumpet solo.
If Act One showcases the genre’s breadth, Act Two delivers many of the concert’s emotional high points. A sweeping score from Journey is elevated by a beautifully expressive cello solo from Hyung Suk Bae. Anticipation was palpable as the orchestra launched into music from The Legend of Zelda, one of the biggest crowd favourites.
For me, the standout was Tetris. It was fascinating to learn that its instantly recognisable theme is adapted from the 19th-century Russian folk song Korobeiniki, a melody that has become inseparable from the iconic ’90s game.
The concert concludes, fittingly, with music from gaming world’s most recognisable hero, Super Mario Bros., sending the audience home on a wave of nostalgia.
One of the greatest pleasures of attending live orchestral concerts is the chance to watch the musicians up close. Before this performance, I had never seen such a varied percussion section, and during Journey, I found myself completely transfixed by the tubular bells. Their chimes evoke the sound of distant church bells, lending the score a haunting, sacred atmosphere.
Also impressive is the Violin I section, particularly during Jessica Curry’s Dear Esther and So Let Us Melt. Their exquisite control of dynamics and beautifully unified playing creates some of the concerts’s most memorable moments.
Looking around the Concert Hall was almost as rewarding as listening to the music. At many Queensland Symphony Orchestra performances, the audience tends to skew older. Here, however, young music students sat alongside families, nostalgic gamers and seasoned attendees, united by a shared appreciation for these remarkable scores.
Queensland Symphony Orchestra deserves enormous credit for programming concerts like The Music of Video Games. Beyond simply celebrating a modern art form, they introduce new audiences to the thrill of live orchestral performance.
If even a handful of first-timers return to hear Mahler, Tchaikovsky or Australian composers after discovering the orchestra through Mario or Zelda, then the concert will have achieved something far more enduring than nostalgia.
The Music of Video Games is performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and runs to 25 July at the Concert Hall, QPAC.
If you miss The Music of Video Games, a recording of the concert will be broadcast on ABC Classic radio at midday on 1 November 2026.
Tickets are available here.
Website: https://qso.com.au/events/2026/concert-specials-2026/qso-the-music-of-video-games
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/qsorchestra/
Images supplied.
Leave a Reply