Press Start on a New World of Music: Introducing High Score

Back in 2023, Classical California tried an experiment. We launched Arcade, bringing together tried-and-true favorites from the concert hall with the unforgettable moods, melodies, and musical worlds of video games.

The idea began with a question: Could these musical worlds live side by side? Could Bach, Beethoven, and Ravel share space with the composers creating the soundtracks to the games we love—and perhaps teach us something new about symphonic music along the way?

The answer was an emphatic yes.

In the years since, I’ve talked about Arcade with The New York Times, online publications, podcasts, convention panels, and, most importantly, our Classical California family. You’ve told me that Arcade made you feel seen as a fan of orchestral game music—and that it opened the door to more of the classical canon. At the same time, many longtime classical listeners began hearing game music with fresh ears, discovering the same rich orchestration, memorable themes, and emotional storytelling they value in the concert hall. For some, Arcade offered a first glimpse into an extraordinary musical world they hadn’t known was waiting for them.

Along the way, something else became clear: classical music and game music aren’t strangers. Both can build worlds, tell stories without words, and transform a simple musical theme into something heroic, heartbreaking, mysterious, or sublime. If you love the color of Ravel’s orchestra, the drama of Wagner, or the sweeping themes of a great film score, there is something waiting for you in game music—even if you’ve never picked up a controller.

So where could Arcade go next?

That brings us to High Score.

Each week, High Score carries the spirit of Arcade onto the air, pairing great classical works with music from the gaming world. We’ll introduce you to new releases, revisit scores that have become modern favorites, and meet some of the extraordinary composers shaping both games and the contemporary concert hall.

The gaming world—and, in turn, its music—is always evolving and revealing something new. With High Score, I can keep pace with those changes and share more of the newest and most exciting music from the gaming and classical worlds. Just as importantly, a weekly show gives us room to explore the connections between them: the influences, musical ideas, and shared traditions that might otherwise go unheard.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing conversations with composers such as Olivier Derivière, whose work includes the A Plague Tale series and South of Midnight, and Takeshi Furukawa, composer of Planet of Lana II. We’ll also create special programs around the spooky games we love at Halloween and the cozy games we settle in with when the weather turns cold. Plus, keep your ears open for another Arcade Live concert experience!

High Score is still in its early stages, and we’ll be experimenting with its format and sound—so we want you to be part of shaping what it becomes. Which game scores would you like to hear? Which composers would you love to know more about? Is there a game genre whose music deserves a brighter spotlight? And would you enjoy watching me bungle my way through a game live on Twitch while attempting to conduct an interview?

Whether game music has been part of your life for decades or the entire world is new to you, High Score is an invitation to listen without boundaries. Come for the orchestra, the storytelling, or the thrill of discovering a remarkable composer. You may arrive without knowing the game—but you might leave with a new favorite piece of music.

Join Jennifer for High Score, Saturdays at 6pm starting October 3!