The album “Perennial Order – Suite for Orchestra” was released last month as a digital single album on the BR-KLASSIK (ARD Klassik) international label. It features music composed by Julian Crowhurst ’13 (Bachelor of Music in Composition) and was premiered by the Münchner Rundfunkorchester (Munich Radio Orchestra) as part of the Let’s Play! Video Game Music in Concert program in February at the Prince Regent Theater in Munich, Germany, under the baton of conductor J. Aaron Hardwick ’21, ’22 (Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting, Graduate Certificate in Esports Management). The release captures the live performance from earlier this year.

“It’s a real honor to be part of BR-KLASSIK’s distinguished catalog for both Julian (composer) and I (conductor),” said Dr. Hardwick. The BR-KLASSIK label has a historic catalog that includes many world-renowned performers and musical works.

The album is available for streaming on all major platforms. It already has more than 5,000 streams and 4,000 monthly viewers on Spotify.

About Julian Crowhurst

Julian Crowhurst (b. 1990) is a sought-after composer, sound designer and pianist. He is the co-founder of two video game studios, Gardenfiend Games and Teebowah Games, where he functions as audio lead, composer and sound designer. He also contributes to overall game design, writing and business operations.

With these teams, his credits include “Perennial Order,” “The Third Shift,” “Occult Case Files,” “Fishing Vacation,” “PYLONS,” “Raindancer” and more. His most recent title, “Perennial Order,” was released on PC and consoles in September 2024 to positive reviews, with many reviewers praising the music and audio direction. Additionally, Crowhurst writes music for film and other media, including the feature film “LIVELove,” as well as numerous short films, animated web series and podcasts.

As a concert composer, Crowhurst has had works performed in concert halls around the globe. Most recently, the Münchner Rundfunkorchester premiered his piece “Perennial Order – Suite for Orchestra” in February 2025 at the Prinzregententheater in Munich. The concert was broadcast over German national radio and livestreamed online. Crowhurst believes in crossing the barriers of genre in all of his work and looks forward to bringing more of his musical works from the multimedia space to concert halls and vice versa.

Crowhurst is a graduate of New York University, where he earned a Master of Music in Scoring for Film and Multimedia, and of Shenandoah Conservatory, where he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Composition and received the William Averitt Prize for Excellence in Composition.

Crowhurst is represented by Broadcast Music, Inc. and is a member of the Society of Composers & Lyricists and the Game Audio Network Guild.

About J. Aaron Hardwick

James “Aaron” Hardwick is a rising force in the classical music world, known as a trending voice in the performance of video game music on the symphonic stage. As founder of Full Lobby, LLC, he curates genre-bending concert experiences that blend the emotional depth of classical music with the immersive storytelling of video game soundtracks—reshaping how audiences engage with orchestral performance.

A passionate conductor, educator and collaborator, Hardwick has led performances with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester (Munich Radio Orchestra), Winston-Salem Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Brevard Philharmonic, Williamsburg Symphony and many others. He was a finalist in the 2021 Erno Lányi International Conducting Competition, a participant in the 2020 European Union International Conducting Competition and a Summer Conducting Fellow at the Eastman School of Music.

Hardwick’s interdisciplinary projects, including “Paving the Way” and “We Play Together,” aim to revolutionize music education and community engagement. Recognized nationally, he has received honors such as Yale University’s Distinguished Music Educator’s Award and was named one of Hampton Roads’ Most Outstanding Music Educators two years in a row by the Virginia Symphony. Whether bringing new audiences to the concert hall through game music or inspiring the next generation of musicians, Hardwick is redefining what it means to be a conductor in the 21st century.

Hardwick received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance (Conducting) at Shenandoah Conservatory. He earned a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s degree in music with honors from East Carolina University.

J. Aaron Hardwick is represented by Eva Artist Management. Contact eva@evaadolfo.com for inquiries.