Quest for Sarah

Jovi Vongnaraj was sitting through another orchestra rehearsal when he began wishing the music on his stand came from Super Mario Galaxy or The Legend of Zelda. He had played the Mozart piece before. The new repertoire wasn’t doing much for him, either. That night, he started asking musician friends about playing something different. They asked their friends, and the St. Louis Video Game Music Orchestra began taking shape. As founder and president of STLVGMO, Jovi now helps bring a volunteer ensemble together around the music he wanted to hear live. He describes an orchestra with professional musicians, music majors, and advanced hobbyists, including some players who barely touch video games. Everyone auditions. Everyone needs a part they can read. A familiar melody still has to become a score that dozens of people can perform together. Finding an audience has been another job entirely. Jovi recalls about 150 people attending the first, all-Mario concert in fall 2025, followed by 350 in the spring and a full house of 700 in the summer. The response he keeps hearing is that people wish they had known about the orchestra sooner. There have been quieter responses, too: during a performance of “Flow” from Final Fantasy XIV, he remembers people crying. In this interview, Jovi discusses building the group, choosing a concert program, giving older game music room to grow, and keeping a volunteer orchestra going when its members have bills and other gigs. He also talks about future concert ideas and how musicians and nonmusicians can get involved. STLVGMO in performance. Jovi describes a volunteer orchestra bringing together working musicians and advanced hobbyists. Photo via STLVGMO’s official gallery. Hear the orchestra The orchestra’s official YouTube channel shares short trailers and rehearsal clips. This preview of Echoes of Hyrule offers a first sample before the conversation. The orchestra’s official Echoes of Hyrule summer concert trailer, shared here as a past program highlight. Watch on STLVGMO’s YouTube channel. A rehearsal, a wish, and a new orchestra Retro Replay: How did the St. Louis Video Game Music Orchestra originally come together? Jovi Vongnaraj: It started in a way that was probably not an ideal way to start an organization; on a whim. I was doing my usual orchestra rehearsal and the new season had just started. I did not like the rep we were playing. It was quite boring to play frankly. It was a mix of some modern pieces and a Mozart piece I had played before. That night I thought how nice it would be to be able to play music from Super Mario Galaxy or Legend of Zelda (which btw a lot of Super Mario Galaxy or many video game pieces in general share a lot of the same elements you find in prominent classical pieces, yay classically trained composers). So I went out to ask all my musician friends, they asked their friends, a lot of community resources and the next thing I know we have a whole volunteer orchestra. Retro Replay: What made you feel there was enough interest in St. Louis to build an ensemble specifically around video game music? Jovi Vongnaraj: I know for a fact there are tons of people who are very passionate about video games everywhere in general, and there is a lot of great music composed for it. I thought how awesome it would be to have the opportunity to perform or experience it getting played live and we didn't really have anything like that in the area aside from the occasional touring company. Not to hate on classical music, it is great and it provides the core technical, theoretical, and analytical framework of Western music, but much of the classical repertoire has been played on repeat for decades. Most of the orchestra around here play about the same thing. I knew we would be entering kind of a niche market, but good music is good music. It's something new and exciting you don't see performed often by a full symphony orchestra. In fact many of our audience members did not play video games at all and they still enjoyed it. Retro Replay: What were the earliest rehearsals and performances like compared with what the orchestra has become today? Jovi Vongnaraj: We have only been around for 1 year this month and it has been a wild ride. Our first concert was fall 2025 with all Mario music and we had around 150 attendees with our terrible advertising. The next spring we had 350 and last summer we had a full house of 700. The main contributing factor was our advertisement game. The most common comment I get from the community is "I wish that I knew about this sooner" or "I didn't know this existed". We have a huge market that is interested it is just hard to get the word out there as a nonprofit and not a huge ad budget. The musicians behind the music Retro Replay: How do musicians typically find the group, and what kinds of musical backgrounds do your members come from? Jovi Vongnaraj: Many of our musicians are music majors, they play music for a living, or gig around. At the same time we do have many advanced hobbyists mixed in so there is a wide variety of skills, but everyone has to do an audition so they can all play well enough. Retro Replay: Do most of the musicians join because they already love video games, or do some discover game music after becoming part of the orchestra? Jovi Vongnaraj: Many of our members are also video game nerds, but there are also members that don't really play video games and are here for the new, good music. Some do discover how much good music there is that they didn't know existed. Choosing a program that feels like a meal Retro Replay: How do you decide which games and soundtracks will be included in a concert? Jovi Vongnaraj: Basically on my vibes on what I feel like playing with suggestions welcomed from anyone orchestra members included. Retro Replay: Is repertoire chosen mainly around music the performers enjoy, music audiences will recognize, or pieces that translate particularly well to a live ensemble? Jovi Vongnaraj: So when you program a concert you want to make it a good experience with variety. My conductor friend described it as like making a meal. You wants some veggies, protein, and desserts and not just like all meat or cake. Orchestra concerts are the same in that you want a little something for everyone and a variety of slow, fast, melodic, or action packed music to keep it interesting and a memorable experience. Turning game music into a playable score Retro Replay: Are there certain video game soundtracks that are much more difficult to arrange for an orchestra than people might expect? Jovi Vongnaraj: Orchestrating and arranging music is a big effort in general that people don't realize happens behind the scene. It's the way 40-50 people know what to play and how to play it in an organized fashion. It takes a lot of work to arrange any kind of orchestral score and engraving it to be fluent and idiomatic for all the different instruments and sections. A rehearsal preview published ahead of the orchestra’s May 8 concert. This is an archive clip, rather than a new event announcement. Watch on STLVGMO’s YouTube channel. Retro Replay: When adapting a piece originally written for older console or computer hardware, how much freedom does the arranger have to expand beyond the original instrumentation? Jovi Vongnaraj: A lot. We can do a lot to a piece of music or motif and still be recognizable. Retro Replay: How important is it to preserve the sound and feeling of the original game while also taking advantage of what a live orchestra can do? Jovi Vongnaraj: That comes down to preference. I generally like to keep things close to the original, else I love a well written and rich orchestral scores. Retro Replay: Has there ever been an arrangement that sounded very different in rehearsal from what you originally imagined? Jovi Vongnaraj: Only if an arrangement was poorly written, tho we vet for that or adjust. Retro Replay: Are there particular game systems or eras whose music seems to work especially well in an orchestral setting? Jovi Vongnaraj: Any piece of music can work well in an orchestra setting. Just about how well you can arrange it for the orchestra. The orchestra on stage beneath Hollow Knight artwork. Jovi says the arrangement, rather than a particular console era, determines what can work for the ensemble. Photo via STLVGMO’s official gallery. Recognition, memories, and “Flow” Retro Replay: What games or composers tend to receive the strongest reactions from audiences? Jovi Vongnaraj: Ones that they grew up with or are a fan of. So generally popular games like Legend of Zelda, Mario, Hollow Knights. There is always a fan bases out there. Retro Replay: Have there been any pieces where the audience reaction genuinely surprised you? Jovi Vongnaraj: We were playing Flow from FFXIV and there were a lot of people crying. Retro Replay: What is it like performing a theme and seeing people in the audience immediately recognize it from a game they may have played decades ago? Jovi Vongnaraj: Can't really say because I do play in the orchestra and am focused on the music most of the time haha. Retro Replay: Video game music has gone from simple sound chips to full orchestral scores. Do you think audiences appreciate music from both eras equally when they hear it performed live? Jovi Vongnaraj: I think people enjoy good music. Simple doesn't mean it's not as good. Silence is a tool too. Keeping a volunteer orchestra together Retro Replay: How difficult is it to rehearse a community or volunteer ensemble when members may have very different schedules and levels of experience? Jovi Vongnaraj: Similar to any volunteer groups you have many people that come and go so we have an extensive sub list. We always have people rotating in and out. We also audition everyone so there aren't like total amateurs. It is definitely a challenge to organize and lead them effectively when half the orchestra are pros and the other half are hobbyists, but you just have to come to realize we're not the SLSO or the New York Philharmonic. We'll play the best we can and have fun doing so. An early rehearsal sample from STLVGMO’s official channel. Watch on STLVGMO’s YouTube channel. Retro Replay: What do you think keeps musicians coming back to participate in the orchestra? Jovi Vongnaraj: Just time and money usually. If we were able to pay people they could play without forgoing other gigs. Musicians need to pay their bills too. It is also a lot of work to prepare a concert. Musicians pictured in the orchestra’s gallery. Rehearsals and performances depend on players fitting the group around other commitments. Photo via STLVGMO’s official gallery. Opening the concert hall to new listeners Retro Replay: Is there an educational component to STLVGMO, particularly for younger musicians who may connect with game music more easily than traditional concert repertoire? Jovi Vongnaraj: Not really as we are more focused on putting on good performances. It definitely exposes a lot of the younger audience to an orchestra. It is still run the same as a classical one tho. Retro Replay: Do you think video game music can serve as a bridge for people who might otherwise never attend an orchestral performance? Jovi Vongnaraj: Of course. Retro Replay: Have you seen people attend because they love a particular game and then become more interested in orchestral or ensemble music afterward? Jovi Vongnaraj: For sure. I get emails all the time. Probably won't make them go see Beethoven at the local symphony, but definitely increase awareness and interest. Retro Replay: Have any video game composers or developers ever attended your performances or contacted the orchestra after hearing one of your arrangements? Jovi Vongnaraj: There are video game composers and developers in the audience. A huge club of them attend all the time. Dream programs and the concerts ahead Retro Replay: Is there a composer or game soundtrack you would particularly love the opportunity to perform or collaborate on someday? Jovi Vongnaraj: The beauty of running an orchestra is you get to decide, so we have played several of my favorite soundtracks already. There will never be anything I don't like on the program. Retro Replay: What is the dream piece or soundtrack that STLVGMO has not performed yet? Jovi Vongnaraj: We haven't done Pokemon yet. Retro Replay: Are there any upcoming concerts, performances, recordings, or other projects that you would like Retro Replay readers to know about? Jovi Vongnaraj: A cozy indie game concert in the spring. RPG games in the summer and a World of Warcraft concert in the fall. For current dates and announcements, check STLVGMO’s official calendar. The seasonal projects above are Jovi’s plans as described in this interview. Following and supporting STLVGMO Retro Replay: Are there plans to make more performances available online for people who are not able to attend in St. Louis? Jovi Vongnaraj: Not right now. Maybe for specific ones but that adds in a whole list of additional logistics and work we don't have room for right now as a young org. Retro Replay: Where would you like people to follow or support STLVGMO online? Jovi Vongnaraj: You go to stlvgmo.com to donate or follow us on facebook/insta @stlvgmo Retro Replay: Finally, what would you say to a musician or video game fan in the St. Louis area who sees the orchestra and thinks, "I would love to be part of something like that"? Jovi Vongnaraj: Our auditions are always open, else there are volunteer or board roles available if you don't play an instrument. The community around STLVGMO. Jovi welcomes volunteers and potential board members as well as auditioning musicians. Photo via STLVGMO’s official gallery. Follow the St. Louis Video Game Music Orchestra Visit STLVGMO’s official website for the orchestra’s news, donation information, and auditions. Follow STLVGMO on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for updates and clips. Thank you, Jovi Our thanks to Jovi Vongnaraj for sharing the work that goes into building STLVGMO, and to Dylan Wilson for connecting us. We look forward to hearing where the orchestra goes next.