by Danreb Victorio
Last month, Square Enix wrapped up their “Crystalline Resonance: Final Fantasy Piano Concert Tour.” We unfortunately weren’t able to attend the show nearest to any of our territories due to previous engagements, but we were granted a quick moment with Julien Mombert, creator and producer on the show.
SmashPad (SP): What is it like producing this kind of show?
Julien Mombert (JM): It is a lot of thrill and pleasure, especially considering the involvement of all composers from the franchise. It is more difficult than it seems, as this is not a simple piano concert, but also has the same quality video projection as much larger orchestra shows.
SP: Final Fantasy has existed for over 30 years and has a very passionate fanbase. Do you consider yourself a fan, and what are you expecting the overall reaction to be from the audiences attending the concerts?
JM: I consider being a fan for a long time. The franchise is part of the video game history, and will always be, partly thanks to the music and incredible composers that are some of the most widely famous in the video game community (and beyond).
SP: What arrangement are you most excited for fans to hear from the performance?
JM: The new ones, especially. We have new arrangements from Nobuo Uematsu, such as Mambo de Chocobo (FINAL FANTASY V), Eyes On Me (FINAL FANTASY VIII), Kiss Me Good-Bye (FINAL FANTASY XII), and Answers (FINAL FANTASY XIV). There are also songs like Heavensward (FINAL FANTASY XIV), arranged especially for this concert under supervision by its composer Masayoshi Soken, and FINAL FANTASY XV music from Yoko Shimomura, which makes for particularly exciting and thrilling additions to the program!
SP: A lot of other gaming-related concerts, such as the Zelda Symphony, feature fans cosplaying as they attend these events. Do you support this kind of behavior as a professional in the music industry?
JM: Absolutely. As long as the cosplay is not dangerous or creating trouble for other patrons, we absolutely support this. A concert is a social space to enjoy with other fans, and cosplay brings another touch of magic to it!
SP: If you had the opportunity to produce a similar event for another gaming franchise’s music, which would it be?
JM: Very much we would love to bring Kingdom Hearts in a same format. We really hope to be able to do it sometime in the near future!
SP: What inspired you to produce this particular show?
I have been working with Final Fantasy music and composers for the past 12 years. This is collection of composers and their beloved music, and I always look for new ways to produce their music live.
Additionally, piano was one of the new ways to showcase the music and experience, and based on the success of Piano Opera : music from FINAL FANTASY, we wanted to continue this, expanding the number of shows and cities, and covering the whole FINAL FANTASY franchise.
About Julien Mombert:
La Fée Sauvage was created in 2012 by Director and Producer Julien Mombert. Since then, it has expanded to become a leading worldwide concert producer and promoter. The primary focus of the company and its subsidiaries is orchestra music concerts from major Japanese anime and video games and Hollywood movies. We produce concerts under official license with top tier video game and Japanese anime IPs, such as Final Fantasy, One Piece, and Kingdom Hearts, and promote major Hollywood movie concerts such as Harry Potter, Frozen, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Star Wars.