Where Classical Lives Now

Classical music's influence shows up in unexpected places. Hans Zimmer and John Williams are among the most-heard composers in human history through film scores. The emotional architecture they use — building tension with strings, releasing it with brass, using silence as a weapon — is pure classical technique.

Video game music has become one of classical music's most vibrant frontiers. Nobuo Uematsu's Final Fantasy scores and Koji Kondo's Zelda themes are performed by world-class orchestras in sold-out concert halls. These soundtracks have gained millions of new young listeners through live shows and social media.