Yoko Shimomura (Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts) collaborates with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra for a new on demand family concert film
Dresden, Germany – September 9, 2021 … Merregnon Studios, in collaboration with Konserthuset Stockholm and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, is proud to announce that specially prepared concert film, Merregnon: Land of Silence, will premiere for free on Konserthuset Play, Friday September 10, 2021 at 10:00 CET / 04:00 EST / 01:00 PST.
Featuring exclusive music by acclaimed composer Yoko Shimomura (known for her work on multi-million selling video games Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts), the concert video production is designed to introduce families and children to the wonder of the orchestral sound. The story has been written by celebrated German children’s author Frauke Angel, with Merregnon: Land of Silence’s production led by Thomas Böcker, who previously worked on the internationally acclaimed Final Symphony and Symphonic Fantasies video game concerts.
Performed through narration, music, and beautiful illustrations, Merregnon: Land of Silence is a symphonic fairy tale that follows the story of orphan Miru and builds on the tradition of timeless classics like Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. The score demonstrates a lavish diversity of sound and displays the various orchestral sections and soloists.
The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra pioneered the performance of music by video game composers in 2006 and has since enjoyed over a decade of sold-out concerts and fruitful collaborations with some of the finest composers of the genre, as well as numerous projects with Merregnon producer Thomas Böcker. The newly composed Merregnon: Land of Silence marries this trailblazing approach with the orchestra’s long-time commitment to the next generation, and complements its distinguished educational offering, which includes regular school and family concerts, field trips and masterclasses.
With its digital platform Konserthuset Play, the orchestra offers a comprehensive library of filmed performances which are available for free streaming anywhere in the world.
YOKO SHIMOMURA
COMPOSER
“It’s a great honour to be asked to compose for an orchestra, and I’m particularly pleased and excited to be involved in the Merregnon: Land of Silence project. Creating something that children and young people will enjoy is a rewarding challenge, and together with the charming story and beautiful artwork I hope we will inspire a brand-new generation of orchestral and classical music fans.”
THOMAS BÖCKER
CREATOR AND PRODUCER
“It has always been a goal of my work as a producer to convey the beauty and power of orchestras. I’m fortunate to have had the creative help of some of the most talented individuals from the worlds of music, art and storytelling, and I’m indebted to the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra for the faith it has shown in actively seeking to premiere Merregnon: Land of Silence.”
STEFAN FORSBERG
EXECUTIVE AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
“We are immensely proud to present the world premiere of Merregnon: Land of Silence. It’s a joy that the music is composed by Yoko Shimomura. She is one of the most renowned composers in the world of gaming music and we have performed her works in recent years. We firmly believe that the aesthetics of her music can introduce a new audience to orchestral music, no matter the medium.”
Merregnon: Land of Silence will be able free to view on demand 10:00 CET / 04:00 EST / 01:00 PST, September 10, from: https://www.konserthuset.se/en/merregnon
About Merregnon Studios
Founded by Thomas Böcker, Merregnon Studios was the first company to stage and produce a video game music concert outside Japan in 2003, at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Germany. It continues to produce concerts all over the world, including the ongoing tour of its hugely popular Final Symphony programme, which to date has been performed in Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, the USA, New Zealand, China, Austria and Australia.
Merregnon Studios produced the first all-European video game concert production to take place in Japan and has been the first company ever to work with the London Symphony Orchestra on live performances of video game music. The company has won several awards for best concert productions and has worked with X5 Music Group, DECCA and Deutsche Grammophon to release a number of CDs and digital albums featuring video game music, including the Final Symphony album, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, having placed in the top five of both the Billboard and Official UK Classical Album charts.
About The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1902 and Konserthuset Stockholm has been its home since 1926. Noted for its ambitious programming, composer festivals with contemporary music and pioneering work on a more gender balanced repertoire, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is very much present in today’s music life. The orchestra participates in the festivities associated with the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony.
Regular guest conductors include notable names such as Riccardo Muti, Andris Nelsons, Herbert Blomstedt, Nathalie Stutzmann, Franz Welser-Möst and Conductor Laureates Alan Gilbert and Sakari Oramo. The latter concluded his tenure as Chief Conductor in Spring 2021.
The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra has received considerable attention for several recordings. Among them the Carl Nielsen’s symphonies with Sakari Oramo – BBC Music Magazine Award 2016.
The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is today among the most active streaming players worldwide.
With its digital platform Konserthuset Play, the orchestra offers a comprehensive library of filmed performances which are available for free streaming anywhere in the world. The collection includes orchestral music, chamber music and jazz as well as productions for families and schools.
