Joe Hisaishi Brings a Lifetime of Film Music to the Hollywood Bowl

You could tell which Studio Ghibli film meant the most to someone by what happened when its first few notes arrived. Some people cheered as soon as they recognized Kiki’s Delivery Service. Others immediately reached for their phones during Howl’s Moving Castle. When Hisaishi began “One Summer’s Day” from Spirited Away, the Hollywood Bowl seemed to go quiet all at once.

From July 21 through 23, Joe Hisaishi led the Los Angeles Philharmonic through three nights of music from across his career. He was joined by vocalist Mai Fujisawa, soprano Ariadne Greif and the Cal State Fullerton University Singers, with scenes from the films projected above the stage.

The crowd reflected just how far Hisaishi’s music has traveled. Families and longtime classical listeners sat beside younger fans wearing Ghibli shirts and carrying character plushies. For many people in the audience, these were not simply movie soundtracks. They were songs connected to childhood, family and the films they return to whenever they need comfort.

The first half stayed mostly outside the world of Studio Ghibli, giving the audience a broader look at Hisaishi’s work. One of the night’s best surprises came from Buster Keaton’s 1926 silent comedy The General. Scenes from the film played across the Bowl’s screens while the orchestra followed the action live, turning every chase, accident and perfectly timed joke into a reminder of how entertaining silent film can still be with a full orchestra behind it.

The program also moved through Hisaishi’s collaborations with filmmaker Takeshi Kitano, including music from Sonatine, Brother, Hana-bi and Kids Return. I had mainly associated Hisaishi with Miyazaki before the concert, so this section made the first half feel like more than an opening act. The music was moodier and less familiar, but it showed another side of the composer behind so many bright and imaginative animated worlds.

After intermission, the choir entered and the energy inside the Bowl immediately changed. Everyone knew what was coming.

The second half moved through Hisaishi’s long partnership with Hayao Miyazaki, including Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo and The Boy and the Heron. The familiar film clips helped guide the concert, but the music rarely needed an introduction. Reactions often began before the titles even appeared.

Princess Mononoke brought one of the night’s biggest changes in mood, with the percussion filling the Bowl before the concert shifted into the quieter opening of “One Summer’s Day.” “Merry-Go-Round of Life” received another immediate response, growing from its recognizable opening into one of the largest moments of the evening.

Hisaishi hardly spoke during the performance, which made one brief moment stand out even more. After Mai Fujisawa finished singing, he casually pointed toward her and told the audience, “That’s my daughter.” The entire Bowl answered with one collective “aww.”

By the time “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” began, parts of the audience were singing along. Hisaishi later returned for an encore with the theme from My Neighbor Totoro, giving the crowd the song many had been waiting for all night.

The concert worked because it was not only about hearing famous music performed live. It was about realizing how deeply that music had settled into people’s lives. Around the Bowl, thousands of fans recognized the same melodies, but each person seemed to be returning to a different memory.

Even after the final note, people continued humming Ponyo as they made their way toward the exits.

Upcoming performances

August 11–17 — Joe Hisaishi Film Music Concert, Radio City Music Hall, New York

August 25–26 — FUTURE ORCHESTRA CLASSICS Vol. 8, Suntory Hall, Tokyo

September 17–18 — Japan Century Symphony Orchestra 300th Subscription Concert, Toyonaka Performing Arts Center and The Symphony Hall, Osaka

September 19 — Joe Hisaishi Presents MUSIC FUTURE with JCSO, Izumi Hall, Osaka

October 2 and 4 — Joe Hisaishi Film Music Concert, Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam

October 16–17 — Joe Hisaishi with the Colorado Symphony, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver

October 22–24 — Hisaishi Conducts Hisaishi, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco

All upcoming performances: https://joehisaishi.com/concert/

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