Joe Hisaishi’s Orchestra Concert in Philadelphia Postponed Due to Composer’s Illness

The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia revealed that composer Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Nausicaä, My Neighbor Totoro) is unable to travel due to illness for his scheduled concert “The Music of Joe Hisaishi” that was set to take place on Friday-Saturday. The Philadelphia Orchestra will reschedule the performances. Ticketholders will receive an email when new concert dates are confirmed, and their tickets will automatically apply to the new dates.

The concert, featuring Hisaishi’s scores for Hayao Miyazaki‘s Studio Ghibli films, was scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Marian Anderson Hall in the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia on Friday-Saturday.

Joe Hisaishi has composed the scores for all of Hayao Miyazaki‘s films from Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind onwards. He also composed the score for Isao Takahata‘s film The Tale of the Princess Kaguyaand was the executive producer of the stage version of My Neighbor Totoro at London’s Barbican Centre in 2022.

Hisaishi has toured Paris, Melbourne, Los Angeles, New York, and other cities for his “Joe Hisaishi Symphonic Concert: Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki” in 2017. He has collaborated with artists such as Philip Glass, David Lang, and Mischa Minsky, as well as the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony OrchestraMelbourne Symphony Orchestra, and American Symphony Orchestra in the past.

The Japanese government honored Hisaishi with the Order of the Rising Sun Award, Gold Rays with Rosette for his significant contributions to the country in 2023. The Japanese government awarded the composer with the Medal of Honor in 2010. Hisaishi was also awarded his sixth Japanese Academy Award for “Best Music” the same year.

Source: Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia