Assassin’s Creed Symphony conductor Ivan Linn brings video games to the concert hall

By Emily White | Photo courtesy of Ivan Linn

The lights in the concert hall dim and the conductor is illuminated by a spotlight. With a flick of his baton, the orchestra before him swells to life.

It’s a show that begins with all the hallmarks of a typical symphony orchestra performance. But then a rock band joins in. And, behind the musicians, a large screen flashes a montage of animated segments from the popular video game franchise Assassin’s Creed. This is the Assassin’s Creed Symphony, a worldwide multimedia concert tour that takes the video game’s music to the stage, combining an 80-piece live orchestra, a rock band, a choir, and even holograms.

As conductor of the show, Ivan Linn (’21) is bringing classical music to new audiences. The doctor of musical arts student, an accomplished pianist, got his first taste of the musical opportunities video games offer in 2011. New to Boston, he’d joined the Video Game Orchestra, a group that performs arrangements of video game music. Since then, he’s composed music and played piano on scores for popular titles like Final Fantasy XV, which has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide.

What it’s like on stage: I feel absolute pleasure when the first note starts. I’m incredibly focused. When you’re on the podium, you can’t mess up. If you do, then the 3,000 people behind you will witness it.

How you became a conductor: I first got on board [with the Symphony] as a music arranger. Then the producer thought it would be a good idea for me to become the music director. After that, they said, if I reproduced all the music and am the music director, then why don’t I conduct as well? It’s my first time conducting publicly. I’ve done a lot of conducting in recording studios, but in the studios, you can redo everything if there is any mistake.

Ivan Linn (’21) and his colleagues discuss what happens behind the scenes of the Assassin’s Creed Symphony. Video courtesy of MGP Live.

How you’re spreading your love of symphonic music: It’s a great community of fans. I meet lots of people traveling to celebrate the game with us. We hear that people have never been to a symphonic concert, but because the orchestra is playing the title they love, they want to come out and experience the music.

Coolest venue you’ve performed in: The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. I was quite nervous—that’s where John Williams (Hon.’85) received an American Film Institute Life Achievement Award. It’s unforgettable—so many great artists, musicians, and producers have shared the same stage.

People would be surprised to know: I was an actor when I was young on a popular television program called Justice Bao, which is basically the Chinese version of Game of Thrones. I played the son of Chen Shimei, the son-in-law of Emperor Renzong [who was the fourth emperor of the Song dynasty]. I remember I angered the director because I couldn’t cry for the camera.

Where you find inspiration: I’m working on a project for Netflix—composing electronic music for a new show—and the theme music came to me in the shower. I guess when you’re distracted and there’s water pouring on you, these things come to you.

What music means to you: Music is the most powerful language. It’s a part of me and the way I live.