Danica Davidson
January 3, 2025 
Longtime Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi was ready to hold a concert titled “The Music of Joe Hisaishi” today and tomorrow in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, Hisaishi has come down with an illness, and the concerts will have to be rescheduled.
The illness he’s dealing with has not been made public. The Philadelphia Orchestra said it will reach out to ticket buyers once new dates are scheduled.
Along with composing music for Hayao Miyazaki’s movies, his musical talents have also been used for other titles like The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Children of the Sea, and Kimagure Orange Road: The Movie, among others.
In 2017, his “Joe Hisaishi Symphonic Concert: Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki” tour visited such places as Los Angeles, Paris and Melbourne. In terms of collaboration, he’s worked with individuals like Philip Glass, David Lang, and Mischa Minsky, plus some pretty well-known orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He executive produced London’s My Neighbor Totoro stage play.
He most recently worked on the award-winning The Boy and the Heron movie, from which he won “Best Score” at the Florida Film Critics Circle. GKIDS gave this description for the movie:
After losing his mother during the war, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself. Featuring the voices of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh.
The Boy and the Heron is the new critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure from the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro. Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years is a hand-drawn, original story written and directed by the Academy Award® -winning director. Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The theme song for the film “Spinning Globe” was penned and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.
We wish Hisaishi the best in regaining his health!
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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