On Sunday, April 3, the Ohio Theater featured The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, a sold out show that recounted music from classic Zelda stories. This performance was unique because it not only showcased music from a video game but also brought together Capital faculty, alumni, and current students on stage.
The orchestra included several faculty members, while the chorus included close to 20 alumni, three current students, and professor of music and director of choral activities, Lynda Hasseler.
Robert Breithaupt, a professor of music at Capital, has a firm called RB Music, Inc. that contracts local musicians for events in Columbus. He was hired to contract 58 orchestra musicians for The Legend of Zelda symphony. Of these 58 performers, Capital faculty members included Gail Zugger, Lisa Jelle, Robert Parton, Tony Zilincik, Betsy Sturdevant, Heidi Wick, Kenichiro Matsuda, and Breithaupt himself.
“Our faculty are among the finest musicians in the region and are universally recognized as national class performers and educators,” Breithaupt said. “I am always thrilled when Capital faculty can be actively involved in the professional music scene in Columbus.”
Breithaupt worked with Hasseler to hire 20 singers to participate in the concert. The majority of the chorus included several alumni and three current students: junior, Jalen Mitchell; senior, Craig Juricka; and senior, Kristin Lawler. Hasseler herself decided to perform as well.
“It was really fun for me to be on the other side of the podium and to be singing with the orchestral accompaniment of so many of my colleagues,” Hasseler said. “I work alongside rock stars!”
Alumni and current students shared similar sentiments, showing excitement over the fact that they had the honor to perform alongside such talented faculty.
“As a last minute surprise, I learned [Dr. Hasseler] was singing with the altos,” said alumna Heather Chute. “It was pretty awesome to get to sing with someone who’s been a mentor to me since 1997 but is now more of a colleague of sorts.”
“It was so great to sing with Dr. Hasseler and watch other faculty whom we see on a daily basis in their element playing the music,” said chorus member Mitchell.
“I was thrilled to be performing with people that I haven’t been able to sing with since my time at Capital,” said Alissa Ruth, a 2014 Capital graduate. ”Seeing how successful all of my colleagues are was a reminder about how grateful I am for our undergraduate experience.”
Playing in a symphony influenced by music from a popular video game was different than any performance the Capital musicians have faced before. For some, the music reminded them of memories spent with a game controller in hand. For others, their unfamiliarity with Zelda resulted in an exciting exploration.
“It was truly a childhood dream come true for the 10-year-old version of myself,” said chorus member Juricka.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Chute said. “I don’t play video games, and some of the text was unfamiliar. There was chanting, shouting, and a sort of mouth percussion section. If the show returned to Columbus… I would most certainly buy a ticket and attend even though I know nothing of video games.”
“It is my hope to be a resource for when these kinds of productions come to town,” Hasseler said. “I hope that this will lead to other opportunities for our students and alumni.”
Capital students frequently get hired to be in productions with organizations such as CATCO and Opera Columbus. However, The Legend of Zelda Symphony of the Goddesses was a unique type type of musical experience not only for students, but alumni and faculty as well. May hope that similar opportunities do not stop here.
Hasseler has had an interest in starting a professional choir for quite some time. Breithaupt’s invitation to create a chorus of 20 singers for the symphony may prove to be a stepping stone toward making this professional goal a reality.
