Shape of the Swarm
The Queen of Blades is gone, and the zerg Swarm is shattered. Now Jim Raynor's rebel forces have smuggled Sarah Kerrigan to a hidden base in the Umojan Protectorate, where she will undergo tests to ensure that her transformation is complete. But time is running out: Emperor Mengsk's forces are closing in, and they will not rest until Kerrigan is dead.

Explore the divided heart of the Swarm and its former leader through this soundtrack, a lush tapestry woven from edgy, alien melodies. The struggle for a new identity is framed against a backdrop of past sins, while all of Kerrigan’s relationships, old and new, are tainted by her deep, abiding rage.

Organic Evolution
The hive-minded zerg race is featured in Heart of the Swarm. The zerg music in StarCraft I started with a single basic idea, expanding into a multitude of variations, much the way the zerg race evolves from simple larvae into advanced creatures and structures. The music became iconic through its experimental sounds and intricate rhythms. It was unique and synthetic, yet accessible, maintaining a breathing and organic sound.

In StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the story continued with the terran race as its focus. Guitar had been an integral part of the music in StarCraft I, and this tradition continued in Wings of Liberty. Live guitars were featured in the terran music, in several cinematic scenes, and in various tracks throughout the game. Yet zerg music did not make use of guitar as a primary instrument until Heart of the Swarm. Selected new tracks feature guitarist David Torn, adding his eclectic leads and strange organic textures to the zerg palette.

Symphony and Synthesis
As with Wings of Liberty®, we recorded cinematic scores with an 80-piece Orchestra, on a beautiful scoring stage in Marin County, California. Conductor Eímear Noone and Scoring Mixer John Kurlander returned to help us capture the finest performance possible. Additional overdubs and solo instruments were also recorded locally, near Blizzard Entertainment’s campus.

With live orchestra as a critical element, the music for Heart of the Swarm delves deep into electronic and experimental sounds, inspired by adventures through primal jungles, frozen alien wastelands, and fiery molten chasms. Utilizing a wide range of electronic instruments, several composers contributed unique musical ideas. The result was a collaboration of diverse ideas that nonetheless formed a cohesive understanding of the StarCraft universe and its music. We hope our dedicated players enjoy listening to it.

Composers: Glenn Stafford, Neal Acree, Derek Duke, Russell Brower

Additional Music: Cris Velasco, Jason Hayes

Score Performed by:The Skywalker Symphony Orchestra

Conducted by: Eímear Noone

Contractor: Janet Ketchum

Violins: Laura Albers, Dan Banner, Mariya Borozina, Jeremy Cohen, Jeremy Constant*, Dawn Dover, Joe Edelberg, Josepha Fath, Connie Gantsweg, Michael Grossman, Candace Guirao, Robin Hansen,Adrienne Herbert, Julie Kim, Mia Kim, Melissa Kleinbart, Suzanne Leon, Kelly Leon-Pearce, Daniel Lewin, Roy Malan, Michelle Mauryama, Yasushi Ogura, Florin Parvulsecu, Ellen Pesavento, Deborah Price, Evan Price, Barbara Riccardi, Victor Romasevich†, Philip Santos, Wenyi Shih, Mariko Smiley, Mads Tolling, Igor Veligan, Heidi Wilcox, Chen Zhao

Violas: Su Buchignani, Paul Ehrlich, Nancy Ellis, David Gaudry†, Marcel Gemperli, Patricia Heller, Katie Johnk, Jeremy Kittel, Polly Malan, Emily Onderdonk, Elizabeth Prior, Carla Maria,Rodrigues, Nanci Severance, Meg Titchener, Natasha Vershilova

Celli: Teressa Adams, Michelle Djokic, Victoria Ehrlich, Nina Flyer, Joe Hebert, Emil Miland, Thalia Moore, Miriam Perkoff, Vanessa Ruotolo, Mark Summer, Eric Sung†

Basses: Charles Chandler†, Steve D’Amico, Shinji Eshima, Bill Everett, Pat Klobas, Jon Lancelle, Ken Miller, David Schoenbrun, Michel Taddei

Flutes: Janet Ketchum†, Stephanie McNab, Cathy Payne

Oboes: Marilyn Coyne, Laura Griffiths†

Clarinets: Carey Bell†, Clark Fobes, Jerry Simas†

Bassoons: Steve Braunstein, Rufus Olivier†, Steve Paulson†, Horns: Eric Achen, Alex Camphouse, Nicole Cash, Chris Cooper, Doug Hull, Jonathan Ring, Bruce Roberts†, Glen Swarts, Alicia Telfor

Trumpets: Jeff Biancalana, Ron Blais, Mark Inouye†, Adam Luftman†

Trombones: Jeff Budin, Bruce Chrisp, John Engelkes, Tom Hornig, Mark Lawrence, David Ridge, Paul Welcomer†

Tuba: Peter Wahrhaftig†

Percussion: Raymond Froehlich, Galen Lemmon, Artie Storch†, Trey Wyatt

Harp: Karen Gottlieb, Sarah Voynow

Piano: Marc Shapiro, Richard Riccardi

Guitars & Textures: David Torn

Additional Guitar/FX: Jonas Laster

Flute soloist: Sara Andon

Choral Performance by: The Skywalker Symphony Chorus

Choirmaster: Ian Robertson

Sopranos: Aimee Puentes, Claire Kelm, Eileen Meredith, Jennifer Brody, Karen Huff, Mary Finch, Mitzie Weiner

Altos: Deborah Benedict, Janet Campbell, Kathy Roberts, Nicole Takesono, Rachelle Perry, Sarah Mouzon, Shelley Seitz, Sonia Gariaeff

Tenors: Christopher Jackson, Dan Stanley, David Gustafson, David Huff, Harold Truett, Mark Hernandez, Michael Adam Flowers, Seth Arnopole

Basses: Bill Pickersgill, Jere Torkelsen, Karl Saarni, Michael Taylor, Paul Thompson, Peter Tuff, Torlef Borsting

Orchestration: Bill Liston, Penka Kouneva

Score Copy and Prep Services: Robert Puff, RPM Seattle Music Preparation

Scoring Mixer: John Kurlander

Score Recorded at: Skywalker Sound, a Lucasfilm, Ltd. Company, Marin County, CA;

Assistant Engineers: Dann Thompson, Judy Kirschner, Robert Gatley, Pro Tools Operato r/Edito r:, Andre Zweers

Stem Mixes By: John Kurlander, John Rodd

Soundtrack Mastering: Mastered by Patricia Sullivan at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA

Production: Coordination/Planning: Caroline Hernandez, Colton Carmine

Talent Relations: Andrea Toyias, Tina T. Nguyen

Soundtrack Producer: Glenn Stafford * Concertmaster, † Principal

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Susan, Ethan, Quinn and Aaron Stafford, Yuliya, Jasper, and Esmeralda Duke, SEAFlute, Savina Ciaramella, Leslie Ann Jones, Tina, Margaret and Karen Brower, Margarita Kravets, Dave and Jo Acree, Tiffany, Taylor, Kate, and Bronte Hayes, Evelyn Fredericksen, Kevin Crook, Lynda Do, Sylvia Whiteshield, Jamie Crooks, Edo and Shelly Guidotti, NASA and their Curiosity, Chris Metzen, Nick Carpenter, Jeff Chamberlain, Frank Pearce, Mike Morhaime, Paul Sams, and the Blizzard Entertainment Sound Department.

We would especially like to extend our appreciation and love to all in our family of wonderful and cherished musicians.