Composer Joe Hisaishi To Conduct The Cleveland Orchestra This September

Award-winning composer, music director, conductor, and pianist Joe Hisaishi will make his debut with The Cleveland Orchestra on September 4 and 5 at Severance Music Center.

Hisaishi conducts The Cleveland Orchestra in three of his own compositions, including his Symphony No. 3 and the U.S. premiere of a concert suite from the 2023 Golden Globe and Academy Award–winning animated film The Boy and the Heron. Also on the program is Viola Saga for Orchestra with soloist Antoine Tamestit, who performed the world premiere of the work in Japan and later recorded it with Hisaishi and the Wiener Symphoniker in 2023 on Deutsche Grammophon to critical acclaim. 

Dubbed “the John Williams of Japan” by Pitchfork in 2017, Joe Hisaishi is one of the most celebrated composers of our time. With a career spanning four decades, he has composed music for more than 100 films and won seven Japanese Academy Awards for Best Music. He is best known for his long-standing collaboration with director Hayao Miyazaki, composing music for 12 Studio Ghibli films. 

Hisaishi's work combines classical, minimalist, and electronic elements to create evocative, lush compositions that have captivated listeners worldwide. His scores are beloved by fans across generations, and his live performances continue to sell out in major venues, including Royal Albert Hall in London, The Wiener Musikverein, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and Carnegie Hall.      

 Photo credit: Nick Rutter

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