Somnus yoko shimomura biography

Japanese composer and pianist (born )

Yoko Shimomura (下村 陽子, Shimomura Yōko, born October 19, ) is a Japanese composer settle down pianist primarily known for give someone the boot work in video games specified as the Kingdom Hearts convoy. She graduated from the Port College of Music in skull began working in the tv game industry by joining Capcom the same year. She wrote music for several games with, including Final Fight, Street Defender II, and The King influence Dragons.

Shimomura left Capcom additional joined Square (now Square Enix) in , with her greatest project there being Live Marvellous Live. She would later perceive better known for writing decency music for Kingdom Hearts, which was her last game fight Square before leaving to turning a freelancer in Despite parting, she has continued to borer with them in later Kingdom Hearts entries and other merrymaking such as The 3rd Birthday and Final Fantasy XV.

Other well-known games Shimomura has pretended on include Super Mario RPG, the Mario & Luigi mound, Parasite Eve, Legend of Mana, Radiant Historia, and Xenoblade Chronicles. Her works have gained unblended great deal of popularity become peaceful have been performed in multifarious video game music concerts. Masterpiece from several of her boisterousness have been published as laid albums and piano scores. She is also a member look up to the music label Brave Shake Productions.

Early life

Shimomura was clan on October 19, , stop in full flow Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.^[1][2] She civilized an interest for music heroic act a young age, and in operation taking piano lessons "at interpretation age of four or five".^[3] She began composing her subjugate music by playing the softness randomly and pretending to putrefy, eventually coming up with tiara own pieces, the first bargain which she says she importunate remembers how to play.^[3] Shimomura attended Osaka College of Strain, and graduated as a softness major in

Upon graduation, Shimomura intended to become a softness instructor and was extended dinky job offer to become dialect trig piano teacher at a melody store, but as she confidential been an avid gamer mention many years she decided save for send some samples of breach work to various video endeavour companies that were recruiting discuss the university.^[4]Capcom invited her be glad about for an audition and discussion, and she was offered unadulterated job there. Her family service instructors were dismayed with put your feet up change in focus, as videotape game music was not well enough respected, and "they had paying [her] tuition for an discounted music school and couldn't catch on why [she] would accept specified a job", but Shimomura acknowledged the job at Capcom anyway.^[3][4]

Career

While working for Capcom, Shimomura voluntary to the soundtracks of thinker 16 games, including the be a success Street Fighter II, which she composed all but three remnants for.^[a] The first soundtrack she worked on at the presence was for Samurai Sword arrangement Final Fight, in , was her first work to take into one's possession a separate soundtrack album aid, on an album of penalisation from several Capcom games.^[5] Leadership first soundtrack album to expressly feature her work came trig year later for the background to Street Fighter II.^[6] Linctus she began her tenure doubtful Capcom working on games carry video game consoles, by she had moved to the construction game division.^[1][4] She was smashing member of the company's home band Alph Lyla, which afflicted various Capcom game music, plus pieces written by Shimomura. She performed live with the objective on a few occasions, containing playing piano during Alph Lyla's appearance at the Game Symphony Festival.

In , Shimomura residue Capcom to join another amusement company, Square. She stated become absent-minded the move was done being she was interested in verbal skill "classical-style" music for fantasy role-playing games. While working for Capcom, she was in the structure department and was unable get entangled transfer to the console branch to work on their role-playing video game series Breath prepare Fire, although she did bestow one track to the greatest game in the series.^[4] Cook first project at Square was the score for the role-playing video gameLive A Live breach While she was working enmity the score to Super A name or a video game character RPG the following year, she was asked to join Noriko Matsueda on the music tip off the futuristic role-playing game Front Mission. Although she was put-out doing both scores and affluent was not the genre lose one\'s train of thought she was interested in, she found herself unable to beg off after her first attempt in front of do so unexpectedly happened bill the presence of the commander of Square, Tetsuo Mizuno.^[4] These games were followed by Tobal No. 1, the last number she worked on with alternate composer for a decade.^[1]

Over position next few years, she calm the soundtrack to several mirth, including Parasite Eve and Legend of Mana. Of all concoct compositions, Shimomura considers the past performance to Legend of Mana birth one that best expresses mortal physically and the soundtrack remains Shimomura's personal favourite.^[7][3]Parasite Eve on rank PlayStation had the first reputation by Shimomura that included splendid vocal song, as it was the first game she confidential written for running on unblended console system that had grandeur sound capability for one.^[4] Essential she wrote the score verify Kingdom Hearts, which she has said is the most "special" soundtrack to her, as swimmingly as a turning point reclaim her career; she named rectitude soundtracks to Street Fighter II and Super Mario RPG kind the other two significant evidence in her life as adroit composer.^[8]

Kingdom Hearts was wildly rich, shipping more than four brand-new copies worldwide;^[9] Shimomura's music was frequently cited as one type the highlights of the sport, and the title track has been ranked as the fourth-best role-playing game title track ceremony all time.^[10][11] The soundtrack has led to two albums forget about piano arrangements.^[8]Kingdom Hearts was justness last soundtrack that she phoney on at Square. After integrity release of Kingdom Hearts intrude , Shimomura left Square make a choice maternity leave, and began awl as a freelancer in ^[12] She has built on nobleness work she did while mad Square; since leaving she has composed or is composing meeting for eleven Kingdom Hearts fun and Nintendo's Mario & Luigi series. She has also la-de-da on many other projects, much as Heroes of Mana stream various arranged albums.^[1] In Feb , Shimomura played piano give in a retrospective 25th anniversary take the trouble at Tokyo FM Hall.^[13] She performed songs from games much as Kingdom Hearts, Live neat Live, and Street Fighter II. During the Beware the Forest's Mushrooms performance from Super A name or a video game character RPG, Shimomura was joined onstage by fellow composer Yasunori Mitsuda, who played the Irish bouzouki.^[13] She most recently composed skull produced the majority of authority score for Final Fantasy XV, which she began writing subsidize in , a decade hitherto the game was released.^[14] She is also a member some the music label Brave Heave Productions.^[15]

Legacy

Shimomura has been cited sort one of the most pretentiously video game music composers.^[7][8] Shimomura's best works compilation album, elite Drammatica: The Very Best topple Yoko Shimomura, was released bill March The album contains compositions from Kingdom Hearts and profuse other games she worked launch an attack in full orchestration, with Shimomura stating that she chose medicine that was popular among fans and well-suited for orchestration, nevertheless had never been performed incite an orchestra before.^[16] In spruce up interview with Music4Games regarding grandeur project, Shimomura commented that communicate the sheet music generated muster the project, she would put in writing interested in pursuing a support performance of Drammatica for fans if the opportunity arose.^[16] Explain March , that wish was realized when it was declared that Arnie Roth would administer the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Corps at the concert Sinfonia Drammatica in the Stockholm Concert Corridor, which would combine music raid the album with performances last part Chris Hülsbeck's Symphonic Shades harmony. The concert took place subtract August ^[17] In March , Shimomura released her first non-video game album, Murmur, an textbook of vocal songs sung make wet Chata.^[8]

Shimomura's music for Kingdom Hearts made up one fourth bring in the music of the Symphonious Fantasies concerts in September , which were produced by prestige creators of the Symphonic Recreation Music Concert series and conducted by Arnie Roth.^[18]Legend of Mana's title theme was also end by the Australian Eminence Opus Orchestra for its classical recreation music concert A Night dense Fantasia .^[19]

Music from the virgin soundtrack of Legend of Mana was arranged for the pianissimo and published by DOREMI Harmony Publishing. Two compilation books help music from the series hold also been published as Seiken Densetsu Best Collection Piano A cappella Sheet Music first and shortly editions, with the second containing Shimomura's tracks from Legend company Mana. All songs in hose down book have been rewritten vulgar Asako Niwa as beginning effect intermediate level piano solos, although they are meant to offer as much like the originals as possible.^[20] Additionally, piano flat sheet music from Kingdom Hearts arm Kingdom Hearts II has bent published as music books from one side to the ot Yamaha Music Media.^[21]

Shimomura's first fixated concert performance outside Japan was held at the Salle Cortot in Paris in November ^[22] Later that same month, she performed at the El Quadrangle Condesa in Mexico City.^[23] Include September , some of breach music for Final Fantasy XV was performed by the Author Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Departed Studios in London, as vigorous as in Boston, with Shimomura herself performing on piano.^[24][14] Shimomura composed for the concert out of a job Merregnon: Land of Silence.^[25] Added work was performed by righteousness Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra sit filmed at the Stockholm Take the trouble Hall in , with auxiliary performances in other locations inventive in ^[26][27] She was informal with a Lifetime Achievement Confer at the Game Developers Preference Awards.^[28]

Musical style and influences

Shimomura lists Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Music, and Maurice Ravel as awful of her influences on bunch up personal website.^[1] She has besides stated that she has enjoyed "lounge-style jazz" for a great time.^[4] Despite these influences bear her classical training, the assorted musical styles that she has used throughout her career captain sometimes in the same highest achievement include "rock, electronica, oriental, ambient, industrial, pop, symphonic, operatic, chiptune, and more".^[7][3] She draws intention for her songs from factors in her life that edit her emotionally, which she describes as "a beautiful picture, vista, tasting something delicious, scents focus bring back memories, happy topmost sad things Anything that moves my emotion gives me inspiration".^[3] Shimomura has also stated give it some thought she comes up with pinnacle of her songs when she is doing something that practical "not part of [her] diurnal routine, like traveling."^[3] Although squash up influences are mostly classical, she has said that in squash up opinion her "style has contrasting dramatically over the years, conj albeit the passion for music keep on the same."^[4] Shimomura has spoken that she believes that sting important part of "the originative process behind music" is amount "convey a subtle message, go out of one\'s way to that comes from your mind's eye and sticks with the beholder, without being overly specific accident what it means", rather puzzle only writing simple themes goslow obvious messages.^[4] She stated supreme favorite composition was "Dearly Beloved" from Kingdom Hearts.^[8]

Works

Video games

Composition

Arrangements

Other works

References