On May 27, 2006 The Chicago Pops opened the doors of the Rosemont Horizon to a sold out audience and ushered in a new era in symphonic music.   The debut concert of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony witnessed almost four thousand concertgoers, from young newcomers to seasoned subscribers,  eagerly anticipating the symphonic music of their generation.

PLAY! A Video Game Symphony is a celebration of the glorious tradition of the symphony orchestra.  In a resplendent display of the enchanting power and exhilarating rapture of the orchestra and chorus,   PLAY! not only speaks to the fundamental musical spirit of today's youth, it provides an unparalleled opportunity for each and every member of the orchestra to connect to their next generation audience.   Says Music Director and Principal conductor, Andy Brick, "we are seeing a remarkably important phenomenon: PLAY! doesn't simply bring a young audience to the concert hall, it bonds that audience to its orchestra".

On May 27, 2006 The Chicago Pops opened the doors of the Rosemont Horizon to a sold out audience and ushered in a new era in symphonic music.   The debut concert of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony witnessed almost four thousand concertgoers, from young newcomers to seasoned subscribers,  eagerly anticipating the symphonic music of their generation.

PLAY! A Video Game Symphony is a celebration of the glorious tradition of the symphony orchestra.  In a resplendent display of the enchanting power and exhilarating rapture of the orchestra and chorus,   PLAY! not only speaks to the fundamental musical spirit of today's youth, it provides an unparalleled opportunity for each and every member of the orchestra to connect to their next generation audience.   Says Music Director and Principal conductor, Andy Brick, "we are seeing a remarkably important phenomenon: PLAY! doesn't simply bring a young audience to the concert hall, it bonds that audience to its orchestra".

Today, with over 30 exceptionally successful performances by world-renowned orchestras such as The Seattle Symphony, The Detroit Symphony,   The Sydney Symphony (Australia), The National Symphony and  others,  PLAY! enjoys wide recognition as the leading artistic presentation of symphonic game music.   Without the illusory lure of laser light shows and variety stage actors burdening some live video game shows, Play! eliminates the borders that separate the audience from the musicians and the music.

Indeed, the concert experience forms the centerpiece of PLAY!. Each concert is accompanied by the most inventive and breath taking high definition digital montages from the world’s most popular video games. The latest  blockbuster sensations as well as the most revered classics from the early years of gaming are all performed in perfect synchronization with the orchestra. In addition to this spectacular display of video game artistry, PLAY! brings the orchestra to the audience by projecting and highlighting the most significant orchestral moments on soaring IMAG screens.  During a concert, the audience is not just a spectator to an instrumentalist's solo but a part of the performance.

In a PLAY! concert, the orchestra members become an iconic representation of their triumphant artistry.  The musicians will be delighted and amazed at the reception they receive from the audience and the great passion for, and knowledge of,  the composers whose music they are performing.

Supporting each concert and its host orchestra is a robust and professional production team.   As the production manager for Lucciano Pavarotti and The Three Tenors as well as the ground breaking Dear Friends Tour,   PLAY!'s producer Jason Michael Paul brings a wealth of knowledge and vast experience to each performance.  Described as a "visionary" visual director, Anthony Pagano's 29 years of experience with Sting, Bon Jovi, Ringo Starr, and Ennio Morricone has made him one of the most sought after live video directors.   Assisting Anthony is Jeron Moore, whose eight years as a producer of interactive game media assures that PLAY! always has its finger on the pulse of the latest game sensations.

At the helm of each PLAY! Concert is Music Director and Principal Conductor Andy Brick.   Widely recognized as one of game music's most distinguished figures, Andy is also an accomplished conductor with vast credentials. In 2003 Andy set a historic milestone conducting the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in the world's first symphonic game music concert at the Gewandaus, Leipzig Germany and led repeatedly sold out performances from 2003-2008.  Brick's performances with the North Carolina Symphony, the Eugene Symphony, the Prague Symphony have brought him "Thunderous ovations generally reserved for Rock Stars."    It is Andy's ability to convey his love of video games and the music within them during each and every performance that helps many of the younger audience members understand the role of the Symphony orchestra.  There is simply no better ambassador for the genre.  Andy has composed and/or orchestrated music for such blockbuster game titles as Sim City: Ruch Hour, Stranglehold , Sims 2 , Warhammer,   Mafia II , Sonic The Hedgehog, Final Fantasy and others and has contributed musical scores for animated feature films such as Little Mermaid II,  Lady and The Tramp II and Sinbad's Storybook Adventure .   CBS National Nightly News, the New York Times and Billboard Magazine have featured Andy in segments.   Andy was selected as the featured conductor in SYMPHONY Magazine and  won the prestigious "Masterworks of the New Era" award for his concert composition "Hungarian Overture".

PLAY! strives to make every concert unique to each orchestra.   Concerts often feature compositions for games developed in the community of the host orchestra.   The addition of guest artists such as the internationally acclaimed mid-eastern percussionist Rony Barak or David Bowies, lead guitarist Carlos Alomar, or the appearance of  such celebrated video game composers like Koji Kondo or Jeremy Soule, makes each concert a truly special event for all.

Whether a seasoned orchestra subscriber or a young newcomer, PLAY! attracts people of all generations to some of the world's greatest concert halls.

"The songs were made elegant and refined. Even if you don't play video games, you could still enjoy everything that the show offered. When we left the Meyerhoff, we were excited, awed, and extremely pleased. It was truly a night to remember." Baltimore Sun
NEW GAMES EXCLUSIVELY FOR PLAY! IN 2010

Civilization V
Mafia II

Also features music from:
The Legend of Zelda, World of Warcraft, Halo, Super Mario Brothers, Final Fantasy and more!

Andy Brick, Music Director
Award winning composer, conductor and symphonist Andy Brick, has served as Conductor and Music Director of the historic GC (Games Convention) concert series with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and FILMharmonic Orchestra Prague. He has composed, conducted and/or orchestrated music for such productions as The Sims, FINAL FANTASY, Little Mermaid II, Lady & The Tramp II and Merregnon 2 with orchestras throughout the world.

Recently, Mr. Brick was selected as the featured conductor in the "Young, Gifted, and Engaged" issue of SYMPHONY Magazine. In June 2005 Mr. Brick won the prestigious "Masterworks of the New Era" award for new orchestral compositions.