I’m sharing one of my favorite pieces of music ever. Its beauty is unreal, especially at 2:17. I can close my eyes and lose myself wherever the music takes me.

Last summer, I had the privilege of attending a symphonic concert of Nobuo Uematu’s music in Houston, which included To Zanarkand. I was in complete bliss; I have loved Uematsu for years and years, since I was captivated by Terra’s Theme in Final Fantasy VI (mid 90’s). Nobuo Uematsu is the composer for the Final Fantasy game series, and, I’m convinced, has played a critical role in the series’ success. Where would Star Wars be without John Williams? At the concert, a fan asked Uematsu which of the games’ soundtracks was his favorite. I was quite pleased when he answered “Final Fantasy VI”, my long time favorite game, a steampunk world with character-driven music of great beauty and emotion. 

 

“Final Fantasy VI was a sort of ending point for me. Not just the music, but the whole game. I thought, if I do this work for the rest of my life, how many more games will I be able to do? With the satisfaction and excitement I felt after finishing that project, I thought I had reached my primary goal, and could quit doing game music with no regrets.”

—Nobuo Uematsu