Noksus and Ejonia

Noksus and Ejonia was composed for the Royal Symphonic Band of the Belgian Guides and inspired by the fantasy world of League of Legends. I approached its online stories and images as a form of contemporary mythology: much as Romantic artists drew on Greek myths, a composer today can find enduring human ideas in newly created worlds. This source also offered a way of connecting contemporary concert music with an audience already invested in that universe.

“Noxus is a powerful empire with a fearsome reputation. To those beyond its borders, it is brutal, expansionist, and threatening, yet those who look past its warlike exterior see an unusually inclusive society, where the strengths and talents of its people are respected and cultivated.”

“Surrounded by treacherous seas, Ionia is composed of a number of allied provinces scattered across a massive archipelago, known to many as the First Lands. Since Ionian culture has long been shaped by the pursuit of balance in all things, the border between the material and spirit realms tends to be more permeable here, especially in the wild forests and mountains.”