Final Symphony II album to launch next week

Final Symphony II: music from FINAL FANTASY, the long-awaited follow-up to Final Symphony, the original chart-topping album of FINAL FANTASY orchestral arrangements, is finally set to release on all major streaming and digital music channels on August 4, 2023.

Presented as full length, beautifully orchestrated suites, one for each of the games included, Final Symphony II features the music of FINAL FANTASY V, VIII, IX and XIII, as performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded inside the stunning Stockholm Konserthuset. Spotlighting much loved themes from composers Nobuo Uematsu and Masashi Hamauzu, such as Blinded by Light, Festival of the Hunt, Waltz for the Moon and Reina’s Theme to name a few, Final Symphony II tells the story of each title through music and is the ultimate tribute for fans of the long-running role-playing game series.

While the album releases August 4, 2023, pre-orders for the digital release begin today, and anybody who pre-orders via Bandcamp will receive exclusive early download access to the FINAL FANTASY IX piano concerto, For the People of Gaia, a full, 20 minute orchestral suite featuring the talent of brilliant pianist Mischa Cheung.

“The first Final Symphony album was so successful, topping classical album charts in countries all around the world, that I wanted to be sure that we could produce something equally special for Final Symphony II,” explains album producer Thomas Böcker. “We’ve brought together a truly incredible team of audio engineers with the amazingly talented Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra to produce an album that sounds like you were experiencing it first hand in the concert hall. We can’t wait for you to hear it”.

Stefan Forsberg, Executive and Artistic Director at the Stockholm Konserthuset continues: “the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra has for many years had the great privilege to collaborate with Thomas Böcker and his team. Every concert has always had Thomas' true sign of quality and excellence. Over the years we have seen huge new audiences embrace the orchestra with love and affection as a result of video game concerts. We are delighted to be a part of this new recording and hope it will find its way to as many music lovers as possible!”

Final Symphony II launches on all major digital distribution and streaming platforms on August 4, 2023. You can pre-order now from Bandcamp to get early download access to FINAL FANTASY IX (For the People of Gaia). For more details, visit the official album site at www.ffsymphony.com.