The Euphonic Video Game Ensemble (EVGE) performed its second annual end-of-quarter winter concert, “Lost in Time,” on March 9. The 2 ½-hour performance featured reimagined renditions of video game scores over 10 distinct contemporary video game and anime soundtracks from popular franchises such as The Legend of Zelda, Undertale, Frieren and Pokémon.
The concert marked EVGE’s largest-ever performance with over 200 attendees at the Emerald Bay Ballroom.
“I thought it was a really great event since they really catered to their audience and they really engaged with all the people who went to their concert,” first-year political science and history double major Emily De La Torre told New University. “The conductor, who’s also the founder, does a great job at engaging with the audience and telling them about the piece and showing the passion that they put into it.”
Each piece performed by EVGE, though inspired by the original soundtracks of popular media, is entirely student-composed and written, according to EVGE Founder and President Gabriel Nowell Suing Nunag. Composition of many pieces started early in the winter quarter with production for each taking roughly 1-2 weeks to complete.
“A lot of [the concert’s preparation] was behind the scenes. Writing music takes a lot of time,” Nunag told New University. “I haven’t actually taken a music theory class before, so it was just a lot of trial and error for the past 10, 11 years to make what I thought sounded good onto paper.”
In total, preparation for the concert lasted six weeks with most members rehearsing anywhere between six to 10 hours per week, according to Nunag. Although the organization aims to produce high-quality performances, the club’s culture heavily emphasizes community and accessibility.
“I want the club to be as inclusive as possible, so I don’t do auditions or anything like that,” Nunag said. “I just have a small membership fee of $5 per quarter, so nothing extravagant, because video games matter to a lot of people, and it’s a very growing medium both financially and socially. ”
With its open membership policy, EVGE has enabled many students to continue their passion for performing instrumental music in an informal setting. As a result, the club’s membership is composed of a diverse background of majors and ages.
“The main reason I wanted to join EVGE was so I could continue playing my instrument and be in the orchestra environment even after high school,” first-year political science student and EVGE cellist Daniel Aurelil told New University. “I was very surprised when I came to the club and realized that there are lots of very talented musicians. They’re all very good and, for whatever reason, they’re spending their time in EVGE and not pursuing music because they want to pursue other majors or whatever else they’re studying.”
In the spring quarter, students can expect a third and final performance from EVGE on May 31 to conclude the 2024-2025 academic year.
Skyller Liu is a Features Intern for the winter 2025 quarter. He can be reached at skyllerl@uci.edu.
Edited by Sofia Feeney.