Joe Hisaishi, the legendary composer behind nearly every Studio Ghibli film, is heading to Los Angeles in a major new role. The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced on Thursday that Hisaishi will become its Composer-in-Residence, kicking off a five-year artistic partnership that runs from the 2027/28 season through 2031/32.
Image via Joe Hisaishi’s website (Credits: Joe Hisaishi’s website)
Joe Hisaishi LA Philharmonic Role Includes New Compositions and Hollywood Bowl Performances
The residency is about much more than a title. Hisaishi will compose brand-new works specifically written for the orchestra, and he will hold recurring performances across the LA Phil’s biggest stages — the Hollywood Bowl, The Ford, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The partnership also includes recording projects and education and community outreach programs, developed in collaboration with the Joe Hisaishi Foundation. It is one of the most ambitious composer residencies the orchestra has ever announced, and it cements Hisaishi’s status far beyond the world of film music.
From Miyazaki’s Films to the Concert Hall
For anime fans, Hisaishi needs no introduction. He has scored every Hayao Miyazaki feature film from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind onward, including Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl’s Moving Castle. His music is practically the emotional language of Ghibli itself.
He also composed the score for Isao Takahata’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and served as executive producer of the My Neighbor Totoro stage adaptation at London’s Barbican Centre in 2022. The Japanese government honored him with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette in 2023, and he picked up his sixth Japanese Academy Award for Best Music the same year — a track record few composers on Earth can match.
What This Means for Anime Music’s Global Moment
This appointment is another sign that the classical music world is finally treating anime and film scores with the prestige they deserve. Hisaishi’s Ghibli symphonies already sell out concert halls worldwide; now he gets five years to write directly for one of America’s top orchestras, with a pipeline of new premieres, recordings, and community programs to show for it.
For fans, it means the music of Miyazaki’s worlds will now live in the concert hall in a whole new way — composed, conducted, and premiered by the man who created it.
Also Read: Spirited Away Stage Play Announces Cast for 2027-2028 World Tour | Kenshi Yonezu Announces 2026-2027 WORLD TOUR GHOST With Seoul and Mexico City Dates
Source: Anime News Network — read the full story there.