Tuesday, February 11th - Leveling up collaboration, Classical California and San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) are joining forces to bring the electrifying world of video game soundtracks to life.
The state-of-the-art Studio G inside SFCM’s Bowes Center will host Arcade Live! on March 14th. This private performance will include music from iconic popular games like World of Warcraft, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, and The Legend of Zelda and classical hits like Ride of the Valkyries, Hebrides Overture, The Four Seasons, and more! SFCM Technology and Applied Composition (TAC)students will arrange, record, and edit the music.
Arcade is Classical California's stream of classical plus music for the game space found on Classical California’s websites at kusc.org and kdfc.com and its apps. Host Jennifer Miller Hammel takes the controller to enchant listeners with hours and hours of music for interactive games, plus classical pieces used in games or that inspired today’s composers.
The showcase, recorded at SFCM, will be co-hosted by Steven Horowitz and Jennifer Miller Hammel and will be broadcast to the public on Classical California and its network of stations, plus online at kusc.org and kdfc.com and the apps on April 5, 2025, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“This collaboration showcases the intersection of classical and game music to show just how in tune they are,” Steven Horowitz, the executive director of the TAC program, said. “This is a great opportunity for our students, as they get a chance to arrange Bach, Mendelssohn, and Vivaldi alongside Lennie Moore, Koji Kondo, Toby Fox, and Eimear Noone."
“Many young composers now write for the game space. This collaboration highlights the dynamic relationship between classical music and the world of video game soundtracks,” said Bill Lueth, President of Classical California KDFC and VP of Marketing and Sales for the Classical California network, including KUSC-LA. “We’re thrilled to work with SFCM to showcase the incredible talent of their students while celebrating the creative intersections of tradition and innovation that resonate with today’s audiences.”
“This concert is a perfect extension of what we aim to achieve with Arcade: showcasing the incredible interplay between classical music and the immersive world of video games,” said Jennifer Miller Hammel, host of Classical California’s Arcade stream and morning show host at KUSC-LA. “By bringing these soundtracks to life alongside timeless classical pieces, we highlight how music, whether centuries old or newly composed, continues to inspire and elevate storytelling in interactive media.”
SFCM’s relationship with Classical California runs deep. The Bowes Center is the home of KDFC's studios on its second floor. The two have partnered multiple times in the past, including for Kids Discovery Day, and SFCM students annually compose original music for sound logos for KDFC.
Many video games feature classical music, from Resident Evil to Bioshock and Fallout. SFCM’s TAC program gives students a direct path into the world of video game scoring, as well as film scoring, live performance, emerging new media, sound design, popular music production, and other rewarding musical avenues. Featuring instruction from some of the most visible composers in the industry today, the TAC music degree readies students for a cutting-edge compositional life, bridging art and technology in the most dynamic ways imaginable.
Additionally, The Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, a consortium of 17 San Francisco Bay Area musicians who create exciting performances of all types of classical music for all types of audiences, will join SFCM students for the performance.
“Left Coast Chamber is a fantastic local ensemble that specializes in exploring that fine line between tradition and new music,” Horowitz added. “We could not ask for a more professional or accomplished group of musicians to work side-by-side with our talented SFCM students.”
This collaboration between SFCM’s TAC program is the latest in a long list of community-facing projects. SFCM TAC students also get the opportunity to score independent films, work with music producers at Sony, and interact with Dolby producers as they work in Dolby ATMOS and other immersive formats.
The mission of the TAC program centers on bridging technology and creativity, fostering a space where students can find their voice in both artistic expression and technological innovation. The technology found in SFCM’s Studio G is so advanced members of the Recording Academy visited SFCM to utilize sound and studio equipment to help judge the 64th annual GRAMMY Awards.