Zelda Symphony: Atlanta & West Palm Beach

The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses is a dream come true. I’m not sure if anyone can comprehend my level of excitement when the Zelda Symphony made its grand entrance at E3 2011. Nintendo’s announcement of a touring symphony featuring music from Zelda was the most exciting thing I’ve heard from E3 since the Twilight Princess announcement in 2004. Take a moment to let that set in… Finally, my childhood dream of attending and listening to an orchestra perform Zelda music was a reality. When a date was announced for Atlanta at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, you could only imagine how I was bouncing off the walls with sheer joy. There was no doubt about it; May 12, 2012 was going to be a highlight of my year. I was quick to get myself a good seat and then spread the news of its arrival, which I’m sure many of my friends can attest to.

Soon the fateful day arrived… Led by Susie Seiter’s energetic conducting and performed by local musicians, the main performance consisted of 4 main movements, Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and A Link to the Past. Afterwards, the Atlanta audience was treated to 3 encores, “Ballad of the Wind Fish” from Link’s Awakening, “Gerudo Valley” from Ocarina of Time, and a Majora’s Mask arrangement. Each encore ended with standing applause, SotG was a hit. If I had to pick a favorite, “Ballad of the Wind Fish” would be it, but in all honesty, I love the show in its entirety. The way SotG was constructed to tell a story through its musical arrangements and videos made it so that even those who never played a Zelda game before knew the narrative behind the music. It makes me enthusiastic for the future of video games as form of art and storytelling. Events like SotG are truly video games at their finest, allowing fans to relive the nostalgia while also introducing youth to the fine arts.

Soon murmurings of second trip to see SotG was making rounds among my circle of friends, especially since one of them, a huge Zelda fan, missed her chance to see the show in Atlanta. I was quick to add my support, and soon I found myself planning a trip to the West Palm Beach stop on December 8, 2012. Only a couple of days before our departure to the Sunshine State, I got the idea of preparing a gift for the Zelda Symphony team. Lucky for me, I also dragged the aforementioned huge Zelda fan, Sylvia, to help with the job. The result was large thank you card, crafted out of construction paper, crayons, and markers. Imagine “Paper Zelda” and you’re on the right track.

Our trip to Florida could not have turned out better. Being the enthusiastic Zelda Symphony fans we were, we decided to visit the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts early. As a result, we had a fated meeting with the event manager, Priscilla Crespo, who gave us an exclusive tour of the facility. I am truly blown away by her great hospitality. She really contributed into making our Zelda Symphony pilgrimage into the fantastic experience that it was. Thank you Priscilla!

After an enjoyable day at the beach, it was finally time for the main event. Everything I didn’t do for Atlanta, I did for West Palm Beach. This meant going in costume (which was very popular among fellow fans), meeting with the producer and creative director, Jeron Moore, and the conductor, Eímear Noone, and getting my poster signed. It was truly an amazing experience getting to meet with the creative forces behind it all. I’m very grateful to know Jeron, whose down-to-earth personality and willingness to welcome all fans with open arms is a real delight. Eímear’s passion for the Zelda Symphony is truly contagious both on stage and off it. Her method of conducting is hypnotic and graceful. You can tell that she is passionate for what she does. Talking with her about it was a great joy and it led me to a revelation of how similar Zelda mythology is to Irish/Celtic mythology. In fact, I want to learn more about Irish culture thanks to her! During this time, my friends and I presented both Jeron and Eímear our hand-crafted card, congratulating them for a successful 2012 tour and thanking them for bringing the Zelda Symphony into fruition so that fans, like us, could enjoy it.

After a highly successful first year, the Zelda Symphony now begins its second quest. The Zelda Symphony is making a second visit to Atlanta with new arrangements on Thursday, June 6, 2013, and you can bet that I will be going to see it for a third time. The good seats are already going fast, so buy tickets while you still can!