When it comes to computer animation, Pixar pretty much wrote the book—or the code, if you will. From its first feature, 1995’s Toy Story (which was also the first full-length CGI movie ever released), right up to its most recent, last year’s Monsters University, the California-based studio has consistently combined technical innovation with storytelling savvy to please critics and audiences alike.

In addition to the dazzling visuals, Pixar’s movies have won acclaim for their music, with their songs and scores picking up three Academy Awards and an especially impressive 10 Grammys, not to mention various Golden Globes, Annies, and World Soundtrack Awards along the way.

Local fans can get a taste of the studio’s sonic offerings this week when the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra presents Pixar in Concert. The program features music from 13 of Pixar’s features, including Up, A Bug’s Life, Ratatouille, Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, Brave, Cars and its sequel, and all three Toy Story installments. While Gordon Gerrard conducts the orchestra in selections by Randy Newman, Thomas Newman, Michael Giacchino, and Patrick Doyle, the audience will watch clips from the films on a large screen.

In a telephone conversation with the Georgia Straight, Gerrard admits that he hasn’t watched all the Pixar movies. Of those he has seen, the VSO’s assistant conductor says his favourite is 2001’s Monsters, Inc., which also happens to boast one of Randy Newman’s most acclaimed scores. The wry genius behind such numbers as “Sail Away” and “I Love L.A.”, Newman is most widely known for his formidable skills as a pop tunesmith. Indeed, his Monsters, Inc. number “If I Didn’t Have You” (sung by the movie’s stars, Billy Crystal and John Goodman) netted him an Oscar, an ASCAP Film and Television Award, and a World Soundtrack Award. According to Gerrard, however, Newman also has serious chops as an orchestral composer.

“You probably don’t notice it as much when you’re watching because you get distracted, but if you sit down, close your eyes, and just listen to the music, it’s fantastic,” the conductor says. “I mean, it’s so inventive, and it’s engaging. I think he has a really good sense of capturing the drama and the imagery of it all within the sound of the music. I think it’s pretty great.”

Gerrard notes that the Pixar show is not specifically intended for children—it’s a full-length concert complete with intermission—but kids who will happily sit through, say, all 117 minutes of Cars without squirming in their seats should have sufficient attention span to enjoy it, and the visual component certainly doesn’t hurt. Moreover, Gerrard says the concert could make a great entry point into the classical world for those of all ages who might not otherwise be drawn to a symphony performance.

“Part of our mandate is to give the audience a little bit from all ends of the spectrum,” he says. “So we look for concerts like this that are a little bit different and are maybe a little more geared to giving a way in to people who aren’t necessarily going to sign up to go see Mahler [Symphony No.] 9 or something.

“I think as adults we kind of take for granted how interesting it is just to see the activity, all the different instruments,” Gerrard concludes. “I mean, there’s a lot to look at, for a kid. For an adult, too.”

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra presents Pixar in Concert at the Orpheum on Wednesday (April 30).