Composers - John Robert Matz and Jeff Swingle
John Robert Matz is an award-winning Chicago-based composer for video games and film. Best known for his work on games like the BAFTA-nominated Gunpoint, ASCAP-nominated and G.A.N.G. award-winning Fossil Echo, and cult-classic Artemis: The Spaceship Bridge Simulator, John Robert brings a background rooted in games, films, and musical theatre. Super-secret fact: He can be heard in the choir on the Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds II album.
Jeff Swingle is an award-winning composer who writes music primarily for indie games and frequently arranges popular videogame music. His best-known project is the indie game Tinertia (PS4, PC). In 2017, his arrangement of the Final Fantasy Tactics track "Ovelia & Delita" was nominated for best music arrangement at the G.A.N.G. awards. He is a Final Fantasy fan through and through, and has has spent a ridiculous amount of time completing every mainline game to date (His favorite is actually FFIX!).
Jeff Swingle is an award-winning composer who writes music primarily for indie games and frequently arranges popular videogame music. His best-known project is the indie game Tinertia (PS4, PC). In 2017, his arrangement of the Final Fantasy Tactics track "Ovelia & Delita" was nominated for best music arrangement at the G.A.N.G. awards. He is a Final Fantasy fan through and through, and has has spent a ridiculous amount of time completing every mainline game to date (His favorite is actually FFIX!).
Writing Team - Lauren Liebowitz, Mary Kate Jiménez-Wall,
Hassan DuRant, and Annie Rosen
Lauren Liebowitz - Writing Team Lead - Script
Lauren Liebowitz has been obsessed with Final Fantasy VI since she first read a magazine preview of "Final Fantasy III" eons ago. She graduated from the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing program in 2016, and her short fiction has appeared in publications including Cicada and Weird Tales. In addition, she leads the video game cover band The Returners (fulfilling a lifelong dream of signing emails "leader of the Returners"), and she can be found streaming games and music live on Twitch as Lauren the Flute.
Mary Kate Jiménez-Wall - Lyrics
Mary Kate Jiménez-Wall, also known by her artist name Reven, is a singer, composer, and lyricist with a degree in Songwriting from Berklee College of Music, where she found her true nerd calling in the Video Game Music Choir. She has written or adapted lyrics in multiple languages to projects such as Materia Collective’s Song Cycle, Spira, Keizaal: Journey to Skyrim, and Time’s End II. Her work on the album NieR: Glory to Mankind won a G.A.N.G. Remix award for Best Vocal Song in 2018.
Hassan DuRant - Script
Writer and composer Hassan DuRant is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where he earned a Chemistry degree through no fault of his own. In his brief career, he's written everything from science journalism to science fiction; game design documents to games journalism; stage plays to TV show pilots. He looks forward to begging your pardon when ESPER releases in 2020.
Annie Rosen - Lyrics
As a young person, Annie Rosen was so taken by Celes Chere that she decided to become an opera singer herself. She has since performed roles at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Teatro Regio di Torino, among others; but her love of games remains constant and she is thrilled to have the opportunity to combine her passions into ESPER. Her ability to spontaneously generate mediocre iambic pentameter has never been more useful.
Lauren Liebowitz has been obsessed with Final Fantasy VI since she first read a magazine preview of "Final Fantasy III" eons ago. She graduated from the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing program in 2016, and her short fiction has appeared in publications including Cicada and Weird Tales. In addition, she leads the video game cover band The Returners (fulfilling a lifelong dream of signing emails "leader of the Returners"), and she can be found streaming games and music live on Twitch as Lauren the Flute.
Mary Kate Jiménez-Wall - Lyrics
Mary Kate Jiménez-Wall, also known by her artist name Reven, is a singer, composer, and lyricist with a degree in Songwriting from Berklee College of Music, where she found her true nerd calling in the Video Game Music Choir. She has written or adapted lyrics in multiple languages to projects such as Materia Collective’s Song Cycle, Spira, Keizaal: Journey to Skyrim, and Time’s End II. Her work on the album NieR: Glory to Mankind won a G.A.N.G. Remix award for Best Vocal Song in 2018.
Hassan DuRant - Script
Writer and composer Hassan DuRant is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where he earned a Chemistry degree through no fault of his own. In his brief career, he's written everything from science journalism to science fiction; game design documents to games journalism; stage plays to TV show pilots. He looks forward to begging your pardon when ESPER releases in 2020.
Annie Rosen - Lyrics
As a young person, Annie Rosen was so taken by Celes Chere that she decided to become an opera singer herself. She has since performed roles at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Teatro Regio di Torino, among others; but her love of games remains constant and she is thrilled to have the opportunity to combine her passions into ESPER. Her ability to spontaneously generate mediocre iambic pentameter has never been more useful.
Sound Design and Voice Direction - Darren Lodwick,
Emmanuel Lagumbay, and Michael Csurics
Darren Lodwick - Sound Designer and VO Editor
With a background in voiceover editing and sound design, and credits ranging from Octopath Traveler, to Gears of War 4, to Horizon: Zero Dawn, Darren is a sonic wizard who is thrilled to embark on this new adventure.
Emmanuel Lagumbay - Sound Designer
Emmanuel Lagumbay is an audio designer currently based in Westminster, Colorado. He is the founder of The Summoners Orchestra, and his music and sound design have been featured in a variety of outlets such as theater, film, and video games. His game credits include VentureVerse, Magic Paint Pop, and Wonderfall: A Tale of Two Realms.
Michael Csurics - Voice Director
Michael Csurics is a voice director, writer, sound artist, and entertainment industry vagabond whose career spans games, film, music, audiobooks and new media. Notable projects include: Bioshock 2, Tacoma, Masquerada: Songs and Shadows, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, and the upcoming Just Cause 4. Throughout the video game industry Michael is known as a crusader for pushing the bar in dialogue and voice performance.
With a background in voiceover editing and sound design, and credits ranging from Octopath Traveler, to Gears of War 4, to Horizon: Zero Dawn, Darren is a sonic wizard who is thrilled to embark on this new adventure.
Emmanuel Lagumbay - Sound Designer
Emmanuel Lagumbay is an audio designer currently based in Westminster, Colorado. He is the founder of The Summoners Orchestra, and his music and sound design have been featured in a variety of outlets such as theater, film, and video games. His game credits include VentureVerse, Magic Paint Pop, and Wonderfall: A Tale of Two Realms.
Michael Csurics - Voice Director
Michael Csurics is a voice director, writer, sound artist, and entertainment industry vagabond whose career spans games, film, music, audiobooks and new media. Notable projects include: Bioshock 2, Tacoma, Masquerada: Songs and Shadows, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, and the upcoming Just Cause 4. Throughout the video game industry Michael is known as a crusader for pushing the bar in dialogue and voice performance.
Visual Team - Keiiii, Catie Vercammen-Grandjean and Natalie Petchenik
Keiiii - Album/Poster Art
Keiiii is an artist and makes a webcomic called Heart of Keol. She credits old school Squaresoft games as a lifelong influence on her art style.
Catie Vercammen-Grandjean - Pixel Art and Animation
A digital painter and illustrator with a passion for fantasy, Catie has degrees in Fine Arts and Animation & Digital Effects from UCSC. She has thrown herself into the challenge of realizing Final Fantasy VI in a pixel-art style that evokes the classic artwork, while updating it for the 21st century.
Natalie Petchenik - Logo and Design
Born and raised in Metro-Detroit, Natalie is a freelance design and illustrator. She currently lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and cat. When not being artsy, she enjoys playing board games, scheming up RPG plots, and reading fantasy novels in her spare time.
Rozen - Announcement Trailer
A prodigiously talented arranger, orchestrator, and composer, Rozen has lent his visual and video skills to this project for our fantastic promotional trailers.
Keiiii is an artist and makes a webcomic called Heart of Keol. She credits old school Squaresoft games as a lifelong influence on her art style.
Catie Vercammen-Grandjean - Pixel Art and Animation
A digital painter and illustrator with a passion for fantasy, Catie has degrees in Fine Arts and Animation & Digital Effects from UCSC. She has thrown herself into the challenge of realizing Final Fantasy VI in a pixel-art style that evokes the classic artwork, while updating it for the 21st century.
Natalie Petchenik - Logo and Design
Born and raised in Metro-Detroit, Natalie is a freelance design and illustrator. She currently lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and cat. When not being artsy, she enjoys playing board games, scheming up RPG plots, and reading fantasy novels in her spare time.
Rozen - Announcement Trailer
A prodigiously talented arranger, orchestrator, and composer, Rozen has lent his visual and video skills to this project for our fantastic promotional trailers.
The Pit Orchestra
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Orchestra:
Andrew Steffen - Violins, Violas Andrew Stern - Cellos Sam Bobinski - Basses, Bass Guitar Patti Rudisill - Solo Violin Peter Bobinski - Guitar Gregory Orosz - Flutes, Piccolo Kristin Naigus - Oboes, English Horn Lori Syngajewski - Clarinets, Bass Clarinet Michael Scott Gebhart (Bassoonify) - Bassoons John Robert Matz - Trumpets Marc Papeghin - Horns Daniel Romberger - Trombones Alex Hill - Tuba Trevor Gomes - Piano Doug Perry - Percussion, Mallet Percussion |
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