Joe Hisaishi named LA Phil composer-in-residence in five-year partnership

The composer and conductor will take up the role for the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford in 2027, with plans for performances, new works and educational projects.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic has named Joe Hisaishi its composer-in-residence for the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford as part of a five-year artistic partnership running from the 2027/28 through the 2031/32 season.

The agreement includes recurring performances at both venues and at Walt Disney Concert Hall, as well as commissions, recording projects, and educational and community initiatives developed with the Joe Hisaishi Foundation. Hisaishi will also write new works for the LA Phil.

Specific programs, commissions and collaborative projects will be announced at a later date.

A continuing relationship

The appointment builds on Hisaishi’s previous work with the LA Phil. He was the Hollywood Bowl’s Composer in Focus in 2026 and has conducted the orchestra at the venue. He also premiered his Harp Concerto at Walt Disney Concert Hall with the LA Phil’s principal harpist, Emmanuel Ceysson.

“Los Angeles holds a special place in my musical life,” Hisaishi said, recalling the concerto premiere and his more recent performances at the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford.

Daniel Harding, the LA Phil’s incoming music director, said the five-year partnership would provide time to develop new projects. “I look forward to the new works he will write for this orchestra and the new audiences we will reach with them,” he said.

From film scores to the concert hall

Hisaishi is known for his long-standing collaboration with filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, for whose Studio Ghibli films he has written scores including My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. His concert works include symphonies, concertos and music for smaller ensembles.

He is also composer-in-residence with the Philadelphia Orchestra and composer-in-association with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.