An announcement released today via e-mail has confirmed that the Final Fantasy Concert Series, Dear Friends: Music From Final Fantasy, will begin a North American Tour beginning in February 2005, the first of which to be held February 19th at The Rosemont Theater in Rosemont, IL.

“After the fantastic support received at the first concert in Los Angeles, I am thrilled and honored to extend the experience to Chicago,” said series composer Nobuo Uematsu. “I’m looking forward to sharing the moments with those who love the music and games of FINAL FANTASY.”

President & COO of Square Enix, Inc., Ichiro Otobe added this: “The first FINAL FANTASY concert in the U.S. brought fans from far and wide together in Los Angeles to share in an unforgettable musical experience. We are pleased to announce that, due to the overwhelmingly positive response, a North American tour will soon bring the emotionally moving and powerful scores to fans across the country.”

The 2-hour program produced by Uematsu, will be conducted by Grammy award winner Arnie Roth, music director and principal conductor of the Chicagoland Pops. This concert is presented by the orchestra in association with Jason Michael Paul Productions. VIP tickets will be available for this performance, offering fans a meet and greet opportunity with Uematsu.

A Copy of the Official Press Release (Which is almost identical to the email released today) can be found below.

Link >> Dear Friends Press Release