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60-399: Video Games Live was founded by video game composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall in 2002, and the duo formed Mystical Stone Entertainment, the business that runs VGL. Tallarico and Wall took three years planning the first show, developing the technology needed to synchronize lights, videos, effects, and the concert itself. The technology for communicating between the person running the concert,

120-657: A "Hollywood Bowl Orchestra" made a live recording in 1928. Later, the "Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra" made several classical recordings under music director Leopold Stokowski from 1945 to 1946, and released a number of recordings on the Capitol Records label in the 1950s and 1960s. The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra was re-launched by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association in 1991 under principal conductor John Mauceri , who finished his tenure in 2006. The first appointed conductor of

180-550: A bonus for exceeding the financial goal of the Kickstarter campaign, VGL released Through Time and Space: Chrono Piano Album concomitantly. It features music composed by Yasunori Mitsuda for the games Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger , with the piano versions arranged by Laura Intravia (also providing vocals) and performed by Brendon Shapiro. Video Games Live: Level 5 was released in 2016. VGL also used Kickstarter, raising $ 264,931 through 3,658 backers. VGL worked with

240-608: A comment about the relevance for new media on the classical music artform. VGL also aims to show video gamers how moving classical music is. As Emily Reese, a host for Classical Minnesota Public Radio , noted concerning a 2010 VGL show, "89 percent of attendees had never been to Orchestra Hall for a classical concerts [...] and fifty percent had never even stepped through its doors." By performing with local orchestras at each location, Tallarico hopes VGL encourages video gamers to attend more classical concerts. He comments that parents often send grateful letters about their children picking up

300-532: A community space rather than a privately owned establishment. Proceeds from the early events at the Bowl went to financing the construction of new elements of the bowl such as a stage and seating in 1922 and 1923 respectively. In 1924, a backdrop to the stage was added. During the early years of the Bowl's existence, concert tickets were kept at the lowest available price of 25 cents using the slogan popular prices will prevail , coined by F.W. Blanchard. While serving as

360-634: A concertized form of the opera Carmen was performed by Alice Genytle, Paul Althouse and Alexander Kisselburgh. The same cast later performed moments from the opera Tannhäuser . In 1932, Samson and Delilah was performed by Paul Althouse, local singers, the Belcher Ballet and the Civic Chorus in concert style. In 1927, Elsa Alsen performed Santuzza in Cavalleria . In 1934, Nina Koshetz performed Carmen and Nelson Eddy sang Escamillo in

420-403: A curved manner, with the lower enclosures facing the front sections, and the upper enclosures angled towards the rear sections. It is manufactured by L'Acoustics, and includes state-of-the-art audio processing, allowing each individual loudspeaker enclosure to be "tuned" and directed towards the near-precise location of the listener, regardless of where in the venue they are sitting. This results in

480-431: A detailed guide offering public transport information and free bike parking options. The Hollywood Bowl has waterless urinals and flush-reducing toilets to preserve water as well as a satellite-based irrigation system to control water use. This irrigation system also provides water based on the needs of animal life. The Hollywood Bowl has stainless steel grates and water filters to keep its irrigation system clean. In 2024,

540-655: A larger one to begin the 2004 season. The shell is set against the backdrop of the Hollywood Hills and the Hollywood Sign to the northeast. The "bowl" refers to the shape of the concave meadow or dell , originally called Daisy Dell , into which the amphitheatre is carved. The Bowl is owned by the County of Los Angeles and is the home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra , the summer home of

600-544: A live version of Portal's "Still Alive" performed in Chile, in which the audience can be heard cheering, chanting, and singing along. Video Games Live: Level 4 was released in 2015. Like Level 3, it was funded by a Kickstarter campaign, and passed its goal of $ 150,000, to reach $ 187,646. Also like Level 3, it was performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus and conducted by Fratianni. As

660-601: A musical instrument after a concert. When the show is performed in Brazil, it is subsidized by the government for getting young people involved in the arts. In March 2016, VGL was placed in the Guinness Book of World Records for two accomplishments: the most number of shows by a symphony (357 at the time), and another for largest audience to ever watch a symphony show live (752,109 people in Beijing, China in 2015, despite

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720-429: A pyramidal shape and a design reminiscent of southwest American Indian architecture. Its acoustics generally were regarded as the best of any shell in Bowl history. But its appearance was considered too avant-garde, or even ugly, and it was demolished at the end of the season. His 1928 wooden shell had the now-familiar concentric ring motif, covered a 120-degree arc, and was designed to be easily dismantled. Unfortunately it

780-540: A series of Capitol LPs made in the 1950s under such conductors as Felix Slatkin and Carmen Dragon . In 1951, a financial crisis closed the Hollywood Bowl during its summer season. Dorothy Chandler chaired a committee that organized a series of fundraising concerts that was able to reopen it. The film-and-orchestra concert Bugs Bunny on Broadway , subsequently called "Bugs Bunny at the Symphony," has played

840-481: A suitable location for outdoor performances by the members of the newly formed Theatre Arts Alliance, headed by Christine Wetherill Stevenson . The Reeds selected a natural theater, a shaded canyon and popular picnic spot known as Daisy Dell in Bolton Canyon, which was chosen for its natural acoustics and its proximity to downtown Hollywood. The Community Park and Art Association, then headed by F. W. Blanchard,

900-647: A variety of Native American tribal events, as well as international music ensembles. In 1924, the land was deeded to the County of Los Angeles. Many of the key influential figures in the founding of the Hollywood Bowl were women, most notably the pianist Artie Mason Carter, whose connections with the Los Angeles arts patrons were vital in the early days of the Bowl's existence. Christine Wetherill Stevenson and Marie Rankin Clarke both donated $ 21,000 to purchase

960-565: Is a volunteer program and offers musical instrument lessons to students twice a year. If the Hollywood Bowl Museum is closed visitors can walk through "The Bowl Walk" which features historical photographs of the Hollywood Bowl. The Hollywood Bowl is the first amphitheater in California to be certified as an Audubon Society Cooperative Sanctuary. Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and Los Angeles County are partners with

1020-459: Is based on are screened. The show involves interactive segments where audience members can play video games, synchronized in real-time by the orchestra. The concerts on occasion feature interviews with video game composers, sometimes live or through video. Examples of invited composers include Koji Kondo , composer of Mario and Zelda ; Marty O’Donnell and Mike Salvatori , composers of Halo and Destiny ; Wataru Hokoyama , who composed

1080-718: Is located at the bottom of Peppertree Lane. It was formerly known as the Tea Room which opened in 1984. In 1996, it was rebuilt as the Edmund D. Edelman Hollywood Bowl Museum. It features many historical exhibits including: Summer Nights: Jazz at the Bowl, Hollywood Bowl: Music For Everyone, Postcards from the Bowl, Beatles at the Bowl, Concert Programs and Live from the Bowl. These exhibits feature vintage photographs, vintage sound equipment, newspaper clippings, postcards, live video recordings, and live audio recordings. The Hollywood Bowl Museum also features memorabilia and artifacts about

1140-708: Is performed by a local symphonic orchestra and musicians. Video Games Live has performed for millions of people across the globe, including in the Middle East, China, South Korea, Japan, Europe, South America, and Australia. In 2015, VGL performed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with more than 200 musicians on stage including the Colorado Symphony and Choir. In 2016, 2 shows were performed at the Bird's Nest National Olympic Stadium in Beijing to over 30,000 people. Tallarico chooses different songs for each show, based upon

1200-411: Is shown during its segment, and this is often accompanied by special effects. The pre-show event features a costume—or cosplay —contest for people dressing as video game characters. Another contest has concert-goers playing classic games, such as Frogger or Space Invaders , or musical video games, such as Guitar Hero . The winner of these contests is taken up on stage during the show, and plays

1260-553: The Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California , United States. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States by Rolling Stone magazine in 2018. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distinctive bandshell , originally a set of concentric arches that graced the site from 1929 through 2003, before being replaced with

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1320-579: The Los Angeles Philharmonic , and the host venue for hundreds of musical events each year. Located on North Highland Avenue , it is north of Hollywood Boulevard and approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Hollywood/Highland Metro Rail station. It is adjacent to U.S. Route 101 . The site of the Hollywood Bowl was chosen in 1919 by William Reed and his son H. Ellis Reed, who were dispatched to find

1380-654: The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (except where noted), and debuted at #8 on the Billboard charts , at a live show in New Orleans. Despite the success of the first two albums, the large upfront costs of hiring so many musicians and renting out studio time made it unattractive for record companies. Video Games Live: Level 3 was released in 2014, and was funded by 5,679 fans on Kickstarter , beating its goal of $ 250,000 by $ 35,081. Unlike

1440-655: The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Qatar Philharmonic. Video Games Live features more than 175 unique music segments from video games of all eras, such as Final Fantasy , Halo , World of Warcraft , Sonic the Hedgehog , The Legend of Zelda , Kingdom Hearts , and Metal Gear Solid . Other segments feature retro arcade games such as Tetris and Donkey Kong . Video footage of each game

1500-548: The 1920s. The appearance underwent other visual changes as well, including the addition of a broad outer arch (forming a proscenium ) where it had once had only a narrow rim, and a reflecting pool in front of the stage that lasted from 1953 till 1972. Sculptor George Stanley , designer of the Oscar statuette, designed the Muse Fountain which has stood outside the Hollywood Bowl's main entrance since 1940. Shortly after

1560-515: The Bowl ensemble was Emil Oberhoffer , who served for one year. Oberhoffer was proceeded by Alfred Hertz for two years. In 1925 Fritz Reiner migrated to the orchestra from the Cincinnati Symphony. Reiner was supplanted by Sir Henry Wood several years later. . German-born Frederick Stark, who would later become a music librarian at Walt Disney Studios , occasionally served as conductor. Ballet dancer Maud Allen performed during

1620-616: The Hollywood Bowl a record 21 times—19 times with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and twice with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, all conducted by George Daugherty . In September 2003, "Bugs Bunny On Broadway" was the final Los Angeles Philharmonic concert to be performed in the 1929 shell before its demolition started the following day, making way for the new shell. For years The Hollywood Bowl produced popular musicals, such as: The Hollywood Bowl Museum

1680-406: The Hollywood Bowl and encourage recycling. The Hollywood Bowl has many recycling bins located throughout the venue. The Hollywood Bowl has also partnered with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (formerly Southern California Rapid Transit District) since 1953 and provides the public with green alternatives to driving, including shuttle buses. Know Before You Go is provided as

1740-575: The Hollywood Bowl reduced on-site parking and introduced a rideshare parking lot. Parking fees were increased and more shuttles offered. The Vinewood Bowl, which appears in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V , is based on the Hollywood Bowl. Many films and television shows have been filmed in the Hollywood Bowl, including Jazz Mad , A Star Is Born , Anchors Aweigh , Columbo , Some Kind of Wonderful , and more. Several Looney Tunes episodes, including Long Haired Hare , Rabbit of Seville , Baton Bunny , and Tom and Jerry in

1800-641: The Hollywood Bowl to perform in the Russian Ballet Prince Igor . In 1931, Adolph Bolm performed at the Bowl for Debussy's Les Nuages . He also performed The Spirt factory . This was later called the Mechanical Ballet, composed by Alaxander Mosolov. Dancers Elise Reiman and Robert Bell also performed in the Mechanical Ballet. In 1931, Los Angeles Grand Opera performed segments of Marouf . Early Hollywood Bowl appearances of opera include Carmen, Aida , and Shanewis . In 1929,

1860-418: The Hollywood Bowl. In 1928, Andreas Pavley, a tenor, and Serge Oukrainsky, a ballet dancer, performed at the Hollywood Bowl. Oukrainsky performed in the ballet La Fete a Robinson alone after Pavley's death. In 1929, Norma Gould brought her Los Angeles dancers to the bowl to perform during Schubert's Unfinished Symphony and Tschaikowsky's Nut-Cracker Suite . In August 1930, Michio Ito brought five dancers to

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1920-488: The Los Angeles Philharmonic. In 1945, Leopold Stokowski formed the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra, drawing its players from among members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and various film studios orchestras. He made a number of 78 rpm recordings with them for RCA Victor during his two seasons there (1945–46) before returning to New York. The Hollywood Bowl Symphony's name was retained for

1980-537: The Prague Philharmonic with Eímear Noone conducting and Leslie Ann Jones engineering at Skywalker Ranch. As a bonus for exceeding the goal, the project includes a documentary on the making of the music, plus added tracks. The project involved another piano album, Shall we Play? Majora's Mask Piano Album , featuring music from Legend of Zelda : Majora's Mask , arranged by Intravia and performed by Shapiro. The April 1, 2010 New Orleans (Level 2) concert

2040-507: The United Kingdom and other European countries. Video Games Live has been praised for bridging the generational gap by showing older generations that video game music is not just "bleeps and bloops". Wall and Tallarico saw the concert as a way to show "how culturally significant video games and video game music are in the world today." Tallarico often contends that, were Beethoven alive today, he would compose music for video games as

2100-929: The area's favorite game series (such as Final Fantasy in Japan and League of Legends in South Korea) and by asking fans at future venues what songs they would like to hear. Over the past decade, Video Games Live has performed with symphonies including the National Symphony Orchestra , the Pittsburgh Symphony , the San Francisco Symphony , the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra , the Spanish National Orchestra ,

2160-418: The audience in the rear sections hearing the same audio, at the same level, as in the front sections. This electronic processing includes sound level, frequency equalization, occasional special effects, and time delay. Sound passes through wire much faster than through air, therefore the sound coming from the speakers must be delayed, allowing the actual sound from the stage to "catch up" so both sources reach

2220-676: The ballet Scheherazade with dancers from Hollywood and the Klosloff Dancing School. In 1932, Theodore Klosloff performed the Flower . Also in 1932, the ballet Chopiniana was performed. Ballet Dancers Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn performed solo dances under direction of Hertz in 1927. Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn raised their arms to point at the California Stars during the Russian Ballet sur le point at

2280-706: The conductor, and their performers was also developed. The concert debuted on July 6, 2005 at the Hollywood Bowl , where the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra performed to an audience of 11,000 people. Three concerts were held the first year. In 2006, the concert re-launched with an 11-show world tour. The concert was expanded to 30 cities in 2007 and 47 cities in 2008, and over 50 cities in 2009. More than 300 shows were held between 2009 and 2016. In 2010, Jack Wall left Video Games Live to pursue his game composing career. Each concert

2340-435: The end of the 2003 summer season, the 1929 shell was replaced with a new, somewhat larger, acoustically improved shell, which had its debut in the 2004 summer season. Preservationists fiercely opposed the demolition for many years, citing the shell's storied history. However, even when it was built, the 1929 shell was (at least acoustically) only the third-best shell in the Bowl's history, behind its two immediate predecessors. By

2400-894: The game in front of the audience and along with the orchestra. The concerts often feature solo performers. Martin Leung , who became known on the Internet for playing video game songs on a piano while blindfolded, routinely performed during the concerts between 2005 and 2012. Also discovered on the internet, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Laura Intravia appears at the shows often, as well as Lindsey Stirling , Malukah , Peter Hollens , and brentalfloss . VGL occasionally features local video game cover bands like The Megas and Random Encounter . During performances Tallarico plays guitar for some segments, from worldbeat-like folk for Chrono Trigger to heavy metal for Final Fantasy VII and themes from Castlevania . Large screens are set up behind

2460-550: The history of the Hollywood Bowl and performances. The museum includes the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, whose honorees include John Williams , Reba McEntire , Garth Brooks , Stevie Wonder , Brian Wilson , Henry Mancini , Sarah Chang , Bernadette Peters , George Harrison , Frank Sinatra and more. The Hollywood Bowl Museum offers free admission, free self-guided tour options, free guided tour options and educational programs. The educational program, Music Mobile,

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2520-529: The land on which the bowl was built. E.J. Wakeman, Leiland Atherton Irish, Harriet Clay Penman, and composers Gertrude Ross and Carrie Jacobs Bond all contributed to the Bowl through fundraising drives. Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr. (commonly known as Lloyd Wright ) designed the second and third band shells. The original 1926 shell, designed by the Allied Architects group, was considered unacceptable both visually and acoustically. Wright's 1927 shell had

2580-525: The late 1970s, the Hollywood Bowl became an acoustic liability because of continued hardening of its transite skin. The new shell incorporates design elements of not only the 1929 shell, but of both the Lloyd Wright shells. During the 2004 summer season, the sound steadily improved, as engineers learned to work with its live acoustics. The current sound reinforcement system is a line-array configuration of multiple loudspeaker enclosures hung vertically in

2640-489: The listeners' ears simultaneously. The system is maintained by Rat Sound Systems, the same company that has provided audio for the Coachella Festival , since its inception. The 2004 shell incorporates the prominent front arch of the 1926 shell, the broad profile of the 1928 shell, and the unadorned white finish (and most of the general lines) of the 1929 shell. In addition, the ring-shaped structure hung within

2700-605: The opera Carmen . Koshetz also sang the lead in Tschaikowsky's Eugene Onegin . In the 1930s, Verdi's Aida was performed by Dan Gridley, Clemence Gifford, Eleanor Woodforde and Richard Bonelli with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1935, Lohengrin was performed, with Jeanette Vreeland performing Elsa and Dan Gridley performing Lonhengrin. The first season at the Hollywood Bowl began on July 11, 1922, with conductor Alfred Hertz and

2760-444: The previous albums, this one was recorded in a studio featuring a full orchestra, a 60-person choir, a full rock band and video game composers from around the world. Each segment was personally arranged and orchestrated by their original composers and input from the game designers, developers, and publishers was used, some of which were invited to play in the record themselves. The album was the third-largest album funded on Kickstarter at

2820-412: The problems, starting in the 1970s with an inner shell made from large cardboard tubes, which were replaced in the early 1980s by large fiberglass spheres (both designed by Frank Gehry ) that remained until 2003. These dampened the unfavorable acoustics , but required massive use of electronic amplification to reach the full audience, particularly since the background noise level had risen sharply since

2880-844: The production of the Pathétique Symphony by Tschaikowsky under the direction of Alfred Hertz in 1926. Ernest Belcher arranged a ballet scene for Bowl Dedication Night, and dancers from the Belcher Ballet School performed the Beautiful Galatea, Enchanted Hour, and Venesive Festival . In 1932, the Belcher's ballet was performed in Greek Costumes as a dedication to the Olympic-Games Athletes. Alexis and Theodore Kosloff performed

2940-500: The shell, supporting lights and acoustic clouds, echoes a somewhat similar structure hung within the 1927 shell. During the 2004 season, because the back wall was not yet finished, a white curtain was hung at the back; beginning with the 2005 season, the curtain was removed to reveal a finished back wall. The architectural design for the shell was developed by the Los Angeles-based architectural practice Hodgetts and Fung, with

3000-601: The soundtrack to Afrika ; Austin Wintory , the first video game composer nominated for a Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for the music in Journey ; Christopher Tin , the first video game composer to win a Grammy for his song "Baba Yetu" on Civilization IV ; Peter McConnell and Clint Bajakian of Monkey Island ; Russell Brower , who composed music for the World of Warcraft and StarCraft series ; and Ellen McLain ,

3060-455: The structural concept developed by the local office of Arup . At the same time the new shell was being constructed the bowl received four new video screens and towers. During most concerts, three remotely-operated cameras in the shell, and a fourth, manually-operated camera among the box seats, provide the audience with close-up views of the musicians. The Hollywood Bowl has had several house orchestras. A "Bowl Orchestra" performed in 1925, and

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3120-400: The symphony and synchronized to the music. In general, the visuals are from the video game the song being played. However, there are non-video game films presented to connect the music to other areas: for Medal of Honor , a series of video games devoted to military combat, the screen shows real films from World War II , and for Disney ’s Kingdom Hearts , the historic Disney films the game

3180-561: The time. Level 3 was recorded in a studio with over 175 musicians, primarily the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Emmanuel Fratianni and mixed at Skywalker Ranch by Leslie Ann Jones . The album featured compositions and performances by Akira Yamaoka ( Silent Hill ), Norihiko Hibino ( Metal Gear Solid ), and Jillian Aversa ( God of War and Halo ). It also had performances by Laura Intravia ("Flute Link") and Chris Kline ( Vertexguy ). The album also featured

3240-529: The venue for concerts by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Bowl also served as a community space, used for Easter services, the Hollywood Community Chorus, as well as Young Artists Nights where younger musicians could perform well-known classical music. Children were also invited to perform at community events with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Community Chorus, beginning with Sibelius’ Finlandia in 1921. The Bowl hosted

3300-492: The venue only having 2,700 seats). VGL was profiled on the cover of Symphony Magazine in 2014 and it has performed at gaming industry events including E3 , Gamescom , Tokyo Game Show , the Game Developers Conference , Gen Con , and San Diego Comic-Con . It has been featured on classical music radio stations. Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre and public park in

3360-605: The voice of GLaDOS from Portal . In post-show Meet & Greets, VGL has hosted guests such as Shigeru Miyamoto , creator of Mario and Zelda; Gabe Newell, founder of Valve ; and Sid Meier , creator of the Civilization series . Video Games Live, Volume 1 , a recording of various segments from multiple shows, was released on July 22, 2008. The music on the album was performed by the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra (except where noted), and

3420-443: Was neglected and ruined by water damage. For the 1929 season, the Allied Architects built the shell that stood until 2003, using a transite skin over a metal frame. Its acoustics, though not nearly as good as those of the Lloyd Wright shells, were deemed satisfactory at first, and its clean lines and white, semicircular arches were copied for music shells elsewhere. As the acoustics deteriorated, various measures were used to mitigate

3480-474: Was released by EMI Classics . It debuted at #10 on the Billboard Top 10 for Classical Music Crossovers. It was also named 2008 Best Video Game Soundtrack from both IGN and G.A.N.G. Video Games Live: Level 2 was released as a DVD, Blu-ray and CD on October 19, 2010 by Shout! Factory . This was a live recording which coincided with their national television special on PBS. The music was performed by

3540-421: Was taped and broadcast on July 31, 2010 on PBS . The special was later released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2010 and contains additional segments, behind the scenes footage, making of Video Games Live, interactive angles, exclusive game developer and composer interviews, and special never before seen game trailers. The PBS special appeared in the United States, and was also broadcast multiple times on Sky Arts TV in

3600-521: Was the first organization to begin building the Bowl. One of the earliest performances at the Bowl was Hollywood High School 's Performance of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night . The Women's World Peace Concert was held on November 11, 1921. On November 11, 1921, the first Sunrise Service took place at the bowl, in one of its first major events. With the building of the first actual stage, consisting of little more than wooden platforms and canvas, The Bowl officially opened on July 11, 1922. The Bowl began as

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