Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra powers up with video games and other pop culture

When Arcane premiered on Netflix in 2021, it bucked the long-running curse of video game adaptations. Based on Riot Games’ League of Legends , the animated series went on to win eight Emmy Awards, becoming the first streaming series to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program while finding an audience far beyond longtime gamers. Now, its music is making another leap. On Thu., July 9, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will present the world premiere of The Music of Arcane at Heinz Hall. Composer Andrew Kierszenbaum, who helped create the score, will perform new piano-and-orchestra arrangements while sharing the stories behind some of the series’ most memorable musical moments. The concert is a first for Arcane , but it’s also part of a much bigger trend. Across the country, orchestras are programming music from video games, films, and streaming series not as novelty events, but as contemporary repertoire. “We’ve been doing video game music for decades,” Shelly Fuerte, senior advisor for popular programming at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, tells Pittsburgh City Paper . The PSO first explored gaming concerts more than 20 years ago through productions like Video Games Live . Since then, soundtrack performances, live film screenings, and pop collaborations have become a regular part of the orchestra’s calendar alongside classical masterworks. “It’s not about connecting with one specific generation,” Fuerte says. “It’s about connecting with new audiences. It’s understanding the fandom.” Those audiences, she notes, aren’t necessarily young gamers. Many grew up playing franchises such as Final Fantasy , Halo , and League of Legends , where orchestral music has always been central to the experience. That familiarity has changed the atmosphere inside concert halls. “When you go to a movie theater, peo