On Oct. 2, 2025, The Philadelphia Orchestra announced that Joe Hisaishi, Japanese composer and music director most famous for his work composing the scores for many of the studio Ghibli films, would become the new composer-in-residence “effective immediately through the 2026-27 season.”
His most famous compositions include “Merry-Go-Round of Life” from “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “One Summer’s Day” from the Grammy-winning film “Spirited Away.” Outside of his work with Studio Ghibli and his solo albums, Hisaishi has worked on various other forms of film scores including his first western film soundtrack in 2025 with the movie “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.” He has amassed many accolades including seven Japanese academy awards and one golden globe nomination for “The Boy and the Heron,” the latest Studio Ghibli film. Hisaishi attended Kunitachi College of Music as a music composition major. He has extensive experience with live shows globally, including three sold out shows at the Philadelphia orchestra in June 2025. On Oct. 5, Hisaishi announced his new position on his personal Instagram sporting a custom Phillies jersey.
The Philadelphia Orchestra, located at 300 S Broad Street in Center City, is one of the Big Five American orchestras. The organization began in 1900, marking this year the 125th anniversary. The orchestra is a staple in the Philadelphia art scene and works to inspire music and musical education across the city.
As composer-in-residence, Hisaishi will work alongside the Philadelphia Orchestra to create and release new music, mentor Philadelphian music students, as well as conduct and compose performances for the orchestra. He is also scheduled to perform the world premiere of his piano concerto with Alice Sara Ott in the spring of 2027. His first undertaking in this role will be his performances on Nov. 13 and 14 at the Marian Anderson Hall in the Kimmel Center. The program for these performances include some of his iconic Studio Ghibli work, including songs from “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Castle in the Sky”.
Previous artists to have held this position include Romanian composer Cristian Măcelaru, American pianist and composer Gabriela Lena Frank, and the late American composer and former University of Pennsylvania professor Richard Wernick. This role is an important one to the orchestra as it is a means to breathe freshness and new life into the organization. Orchestra’s are notoriously expensive to operate and have seen a decline in popularity over the past century. Bringing in new talent and new works can draw in both new and returning patrons alike.
Hisaishi is very well known to a wide ranging audience, especially the younger generations; while they may not know him by name, his work is easily recognizable. Studio Ghibli and its films have become very popular across the world and many members of the younger generations especially have found connection with the films. Studio Ghibli has an instantly recognizable style in its art, colorful and cozy, that has been very influential among young artists today. Not only is the style of the art recognizable, but the music of the films has become highly regarded and has had many people feel passionate towards its sound, even those who would not consider themselves as enjoyers of classical music.
Classical music, as a genre, has had a long-standing difficulty connecting with the younger generations. It is a genre most commonly associated with older generations and the elite, and many feel as though it is a world of art that lives separately from their own.
By bringing in Hisaishi, an individual whose works are so well known across many demographics, it offers a way for the wider community of Philadelphia to be open and interested in exploring the work of the orchestra and classical performance as a whole. Joe Hisaishi is an individual respected both in the world of classical music as well as with the general public, and his collaboration with the orchestra has the ability to leave a lasting impact on The Philadelphia Orchestra and the city’s performance art scene as a whole.