Hisaishi Began his career as a contemporary music composer and started to develop his unique style in minimal music when he graduated from conservatory in Japan. His career as a solo artist began with the presentation of MKWAJU in 1981 and the release of his first album Information in 1982. Since his debut, Hisaishi has released nearly 40 solo albums. The first CD A Symphonic Celebration released from Deutsche Grammophon (2023) hit the first prize on US Billboard Classical Albums & Classical Crossover Albums Chart twice.
From Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) to The Boy and the Heron (2023), Hisaishi has produced music for Hayao Miyazaki films. He has collaborated on the music production of over 80 films at home and abroad, and his works have won many awards including several Outstanding Achievement in Music prizes of Japan Academy Film Prize, and the Winsor McCay Award at the 51st Annie Awards in 2024.
In 2004, he took on the position of Principal Music Director of the New Japan Philharmonic “World Dream Orchestra”. Since 2014, he has been working as a producer and holding contemporary music concerts called “JOE HISAISHI presents MUSIC FUTURE”. He also started leading a concert series “Future Orchestra Classics” in 2019 and released Beethoven: Complete Symphonies that was given “Special Prize” from 57th Record Academy Award Japan 2019.
The world tour "Joe Hisaishi Symphonic Concert: Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki", which he started in 2017, has captivated huge live audiences in his recent sold-out performances at Madison Square Garden, New York over 3 nights, La Défense in Paris, Wembley Arena in London, Olympic Hall in Munich, among others. In July 2025, the tour concluded with a final performance at Tokyo Dome. Attracting a total of 130,000 fans across 3 shows, it marked a significant milestone in music history.
In recent years, he works as a classical music conductor and also composed new works in a contemporary music style, including The East Land Symphony (Symphony No. 1) (2016), The Border Concerto for 3 Horns and Orchestra (2020), Symphony No. 2 (2021), Metaphysica (Symphony No. 3) (2021) and Viola Saga for Orchestra (2023). In November 2024, he premiered his Harp Concerto, a joint commission by four organizations, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Hisaishi has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Philip Glass, David Lang, Mischa Maisky, and orchestra such as the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, among others.
He was appointed as Composer-in-Association of Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in April 2024. He is the Music Director with Japan Century Symphony Orchestra from April 2025.

Maki Namekawa, one of the leading pianists of her generation, has earned a unique reputation for her commitment to four centuries of great piano music with a concert repertory that is broad, colorful, and ambitious, ranging from neglected masterpieces by J.S. Bach, Mendelssohn, Berg to new works by many of today’s leading composers. The impressive list of music especially written for her includes “Piano Sonata” by Philip Glass and Joe Hisaishi, headlining a list of first performances of music by Elliot Goldenthal, Keith Jarrett, Arvo Pärt, Hania Rani. Recently she has been particularly in demand for programs featuring Philip Glass’ “The Complete 20 Piano Etudes”, which she premiered together with the composer in 2013, Keith Jarrett‘s legendary “The Köln Concert”, and Chick Corea’s evocative “Children’s Songs”.
Maki Namekawa’s prize-winning recordings include the first complete solo performance of the Glass’ “The Complete 20 Piano Etudes”, Glass’ “Piano Sonata” and the piano suite from film music “Mishima”, especially crafted for her by Glass specialist Michael Riesman, “Sunrise Falling” featuring the music of Isang Yun, and Heinz Winbeck’s remarkable homage to Franz Schubert’s “Lebensstürme”.
Her double-CD album of “The Complete 20 Piano Etudes” by Philip Glass has been released in 2014, reaching number 1 of the iTunes Classic charts and receiving highste praise by BBC Music Magazine in United Kingdom.
Creative collaborations are an important part of Maki Namekawa’s artistic profile and include a series of concerts with world music star Angelique Kidjo as well as live dance performances featuring choreographers Lucinda Childs, Justin Peck, Tiler Peck, Bobbi Jene Smith.
Since 2014 she presents “Pianographique” integrating piano performances with live AI and computer generated images created by Cori O’Lan, and has been performed in 10 countries. In May 2025 this project was invited to perform at Expo2025 Osaka.
She performs regularly at international venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center New York, Walt Disney Hall Los Angeles, Davies Symphony Hall San Francisco, Berlin Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Barbican Centre and Wigmore Hall in London, Musikverein Vienna, Philharmonie de Paris and Cité de la Musique Paris, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Suntory Hall and Sumida Triphony Hall in Tokyo.
She has performed at the most important festivals of our time: the Salzburg Festival, the New York Lincoln Center Festival, the Ars Electronica Festival in Austria, Musik-Biennale Berlin, the Rheingau Music Festival and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.
Since her first appearance at the Piano-Festival Ruhr in 2002, where she took part in its closing concert on the recommendation of pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, she has been a regular guest at the festival and was awarded the “Piano-Festival Ruhr Prize” in 2017.