FINAL FANTASY Press release.
A New World: intimate music from FINAL FANTASY performances to be held at Anime Central
All-New Chamber Arrangements of Selections from the Beloved FINAL FANTASY Soundtrack
ROSEMONT, IL – Anime Central is proud to present, from AWR Music Productions, producers of the internationally acclaimed concert tour Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY, a new FINAL FANTASY musical experience: A New World: intimate music from FINAL FANTASY! Two concert performances will be held at Anime Central featuring game series Music Composer Nobuo Uematsu and GRAMMY® Award-winning Music Director Arnie Roth. This is an event not to be missed by FINAL FANTASY or music fans alike!
Since the debut of FINAL FANTASY in 1987, the franchise has been one of the most popular video games in the world. The lush, tone-setting, character-defining musical score created for the games by a team of composers led by Uematsu, also has amassed a legion of fans who pack the world’s most respected concert venues, including Royal Albert Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sydney Opera House, Tokyo International Foru
ny more. For A New World: intimate music from FINAL FANTASY, Music Director Arnie Roth has devised a reimagined FINAL FANTASY concert: a pure live music experience specifically designed to take advantage of the musical intimacy of a smaller live performance venue, featuring arrangements for string quartet, piano and guitar solos, duos, trios and other mixed groups of instrumentalists. The new FINAL FANTASY arrangements are written by Arnie Roth and Eric Roth of AWR Music Productions, the critically-hailed team behind the Distant Worlds concerts, with additional arrangements by Shiro Hamaguchi, Uematsu’s longtime collaborator on the FINAL FANTASY video game soundtrack recordings.
“For this unique concert experience, we have mined the vast FINAL FANTASY musical catalogue to choose some of the most-loved selections,” said Roth. “The breadth of Uematsu’s work is astounding, encompassing traditional orchestral and operatic work as well as pop-inspired ballads. While the overwhelming reaction of audiences – and even veteran musicians – to this music, is always thrilling, A New World will introduce audiences to the music from FINAL FANTASY on a personal and intimate scale that has yet to be experienced.”
A New World: intimate music from FINAL FANTASY will be presented Friday, May 16th and Saturday, May 17th, 2014 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. The performances will only be open to Anime Central 2014 badge holders whose badges are valid for the day of the performance. Additionally, since seating is limited, a ticket will be necessary to gain entry. Tickets will be distributed free of charge, on a first come first served basis at the ticket booths inside the registration area of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Tickets for each day’s concert will be distributed the same day as the performance, beginning at 8:00 am when the registration area of the convention center opens until no more tickets for that day’s performance remain. Any preformed line outside the convention center will first be escorted into the ticketing area when doors open at 8:00 am. There will only be 750 tickets available for each concert, attendees will only be eligible to attend one of the two shows, and badge holders must be present with their badges to obtain a ticket. Anime Central registration information can be found at http://www.acen.org/content/registration-info.
ABOUT NOBUO UEMATSU: Nobuo Uematsu is recognized as one of the most celebrated video game composers in the field, and his music for the FINAL FANTASY franchise is performed by world-class orchestras around the globe. Britain’s Classic FM positioned the FINAL FANTASY soundtrack recording as #3 on their Hall of Fame, writing that Uematsu is “a legend in his own right.” His song “Eyes on Me” sold a record number of copies and was the first video game song to win Song of the Year (Western Music) at the Japanese Gold Disc Awards in 1999. The music from the game series has grown to such notoriety that Uematsu was named as one of the Innovators in Time Magazine’s Time 100: the Next Wave Music feature.
ABOUT ARNIE ROTH: GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Arnie Roth is renowned for his work with such diverse artists as Diana Ross, Jewel, Mannheim Steamroller, The Irish Tenors, Charlotte Church, and Peter Cetera. He has conducted many of the world’s most renowned symphonies including the London Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Sydney Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the National Symphony, the Czech Philharmonic, the Baltimore Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, the Munich Symphony, the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, the Osaka Philharmonic Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne. Roth is well known in the world of video game music for his work with Nobuo Uematsu and SQUARE ENIX as music director and conductor of many performances featuring the music of FINAL FANTASY. He was the winner of the Best Score Award at the 2003 DVD Premier Awards for his score for the film Barbie™ as Rapunzel and was nominated for an Emmy in 2007 for his original song “Shine” from the movie Barbie™ in The Twelve Dancing Princesses. http://www.awrmusic.com
ABOUT ANIME CENTRAL: Anime Central (www.acen.org) is the Midwest’s largest anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture convention. The convention is currently held in Rosemont, IL, just outside of Chicago and 5 minutes from O’Hare Airport. As part of its mission, Anime Central brings fans together with guests from the Japanese and U.S. sectors of the animation and manga industries, as well as gaming, cinema, and Asian culture. Anime Central is sponsored by the Midwest Animation Promotion Society, a registered 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization.
ABOUT AWR MUSIC PRODUCTIONS: AWR Music is a multi-faceted musical services company, offering excellence in live entertainment, tour support, original music composition, orchestration, preparation, and audio production for the recording, film, and new media industries. Artists and projects include: Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY, Barbie™ at the Symphony, Diana Ross, Il Divo, Andrea Bocelli, Mannheim Steamroller, Sarah Brightman, Charlotte Church, Jewel, The Irish Tenors, Peter Cetera, Dennis DeYoung, Michael McDonald, Lyle Lovett, PBS Soundstage HD, NBC World Children’s Day with David Foster, NBC Disson Skating events, The U.S. Tennis Open, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The Martha Stewart Show, and The Rosie Show.
ABOUT SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.: SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. (SQUARE ENIX), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes, and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications worldwide. SQUARE ENIX brings two of Japan’s best-selling franchises FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST, which has sold over 50 million units worldwide under one roof. SQUARE ENIX is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation. Visit http://www.square-enix.com for more information.
All associated trademarks are owned by and used under license from SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. ©2014 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.
A New World: intimate music from FINAL FANTASY performances to be held at Anime Central
May 16th and May 17th, 2014
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
9291 Bryn Mawr Ave.
Rosemont, IL 60018 USA
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For further information contact:
Anime Central Guest & Industry Relations
guestrelations@acen.org