The Classical Conspiracy

The Classical Conspiracy is the second live album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica. The recorded live show took part in Miskolc, Hungary on 14 June 2008 in the framework of the Miskolc Opera Festival, where the Swedish symphonic metal band Therion had done a similar show a year before. Epica performed on stage with a 40-piece orchestra and a 30-piece choir, entirely composed of Hungarian musicians conducted by Zsolt Regos. The expanded ensemble played classical music, excerpts from operas and movie soundtracks, as well as Epica's songs. The album was released on 8 May 2009 through Nuclear Blast Records.

This is the first album featuring Ariën van Weesenbeek as the new official drummer of Epica and also the last album with founding member and lead guitarist Ad Sluijter, who had already left the band when the album was released.

Personnel
Epica
 * Simone Simons – lead vocals
 * Mark Jansen – lead & rhythm guitar, grunts, screams, band arrangements on tracks 2, 6
 * Ad Sluijter – lead & rhythm guitar, editing
 * Yves Huts – bass, band arrangements on tracks 5, 7, 8, 11, 12
 * Coen Janssen – synthesizer, piano, orchestral and choir arrangements, band arrangements on tracks 2, 4, 7
 * Ariën van Weesenbeek – drums

Additional musicians
 * Amanda Somerville – choir vocals
 * Agnes Liptak – choir vocals

Choir of Miskolc National Theatre
 * Boglarka Jambrik, Edina Kecskemeti, Eszter Maria Papp, Eva Orth, Eva Vajda, Ildiko Simon, Zsuzsa Adamy, Zsuzsa Kurucz, Agnes Liptak, Anette Cseh, Angelika Hircsu, Diana Kuttor, Linda Dolhai, Maria Takacs, Mariann Majlath, Oksana Pascsenko, Andras Marton, Erik Molnar, Gergely Boncser, Gergely Irlanda, Laszlo Bodor, Nandor Nandor, Tibor Osvath, Akos Baksy, Balazs Kolozsi, David Dani, Ivan Nagy, Robert Molnar, Sandor Demeter

Extended Reményi Ede Chamber Orchestra


 * Beata Lukacs – violin
 * Benjamin Almassy – violin
 * Boglarka Balog – violin
 * Doris Tatai – violin
 * Eva Siklosi – violin
 * Maria Lazanyi – violin
 * Monika Zsekov – violin
 * Zoltán Ficsor – violin
 * Zoltan Kerenyi – violin
 * Zsofia Nagy – violin
 * Tamas Kriston – violin
 * Janos Feher – viola
 * Jozsef Kautzky – viola
 * Sandor Szabo – viola
 * Tamás Tóth – viola
 * Angelika Béres – celli
 * Annamaria Bodi – celli
 * Kamilla Matakovics – celli
 * Arpad Balog – double bass
 * Gizella Keresztfalvi – double bass
 * Sandor Czimer – clarinet
 * Tamas Fogarasi – clarinet
 * Csaba Szilagyi – trombone
 * Istvan Molnar – trombone
 * Zoltan Kakuk – trombone
 * Gyorgy Aranyosi – trumpet
 * Peter Gál – trumpet
 * Beata Tatar – oboe
 * Janos Implom – oboe
 * János Dobos – tuba
 * Tamas Domotor – timpani
 * István Halász – bassoon
 * Krisztián Járdány – bassoon
 * Eniko Frencz – French horn
 * Ferenc Tornyai – French horn
 * Gergely Opauszky – French horn
 * Sándor Horváth – French horn
 * Marianna Moori – flute
 * Tamas Siklosi – flute
 * Mark Virágh – percussion
 * Andras Bujtas – keyboards

Production


 * Oliver Palotai – orchestral arrangements
 * Sascha Paeth – mixing, mastering
 * Zsolt Regos – choirmaster
 * Tamias Kriston – concertmaster
 * Hídvégi Dániel – live sound engineering
 * Gresiczki Tamás – live sound engineering
 * Olaf Reitmeier – editing
 * Miro – editing
 * Ad Sluijter – editing
 * Simon Oberender – editing, mixing, mastering
 * Stefan Heilemann – art direction, design
 * Levente Kovács – photography
 * Maria Schvab – photography
 * Patrakov Alexey – photography
 * Oleg Patrakov – photography
 * Rita Miklán – photography
 * Janos Adam – photography
 * László Mocsári – photography