Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra to Perform SPIRITED AWAY Film and Video Game Music Concert

The highly anticipated “Spirited Away” concert by Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra will bring the fun and excitement from the big and small screen to the concert stage this month.  The performance will take place on Sunday 30 August, 3pm at The Concourse, 409 Victoria Av, Chatswood.

The concert's title comes from Spirited Away, the cult-classic animated film from 2001, directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli with exquisite music scored by Joe Hisaishi. The movie was a landmark in animated cinema and told of a 10-yr old girl, Chihiro, who stumbled into a mystical spirit world. It is the 25th Anniversary for this and the iconic score The Fellowship of the Ring - just two of many powerful and evocative pieces the KPO presents in the popular-themed annual concert.

Spirited Away, was the first hand-drawn, non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It has been hailed by many critics as one of the greatest animated films ever made. Its composer, Joe Hisaishi, has had a working relationship with the film's director, Hayao Miyazaki, similar to the collaboration between John Williams and Steven Spielberg. Hisaishi and Miyazaki first worked together in 1983 and since then they have produced many of the most beloved animé films such as Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle. Several of Hisaishi's animé scores have achieved over 100 million streams on Spotify, making him one of the most commercially successful film composers in history. Hisaishi's music has been described as magic, emotional and diverse; blending minimalist piano, a grand orchestral sound and traditional Japanese elements. It moves smoothly from gentle and sad to bright and scary. Many will be familiar with the song of The Dragon Boy (on Netflix).

The Fellowship of the Ring, the first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, won four Academy Awards, including Best Original Score at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002. Canadian composer, Howard Shore, scored all three Lord of the Rings films and continued his collaboration with director, Peter Jackson, in The Hobbit. Howard Shore has vast experience in a multitude of musical genres including jazz, rock, and pop and was the original music director on the iconic Saturday Night Live television program. His highly evocative music for the Lord of the Rings trilogy has made him one of the most influential composers for film.

Epic, atmospheric soundscapes from Nishiki Tsukasa Saitoh come next from the 2022 action video game The Elden Ring (main Theme), weaving orchestral grandeur with haunting melodies. Star Wars Suite by John Williams adds intergalactic thrills. What can we say? Multiple generations know the iconic opening credits “In a Galaxy far, far away” from the original 1977 movie by George Lucas, which went onto to become a series of nine. The force is definitely with the KPO!  Aram Khachaturian's 'Adagio from Spartacus' was originally scored for the ballet Spartacus and later adapted for the TV series 'The Onedin Line'. The music evokes classic sailing vessels and the grandeur of maritime adventure.