Mamoru Fujisawa, known professionally as Joe Hisaishi, is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, including minimalist, experimental electronic, Western classical, and Japanese classical. He has also worked as a music engraver and arranger.
A Scene at the Sea is a 1991 Japanese drama film written, edited and directed by Takeshi Kitano starring Claude Maki.
Hana-bi, released in the United States as Fireworks, is a 1997 Japanese crime drama film written, directed and edited by Takeshi Kitano, who also stars in it. The film's score was composed by Joe Hisaishi in his fourth collaboration with Kitano.
Youmi Kimura is a Japanese singer and lyre performer. She is most well-known for her compositions on the soundtracks of Studio Ghibli films.
The Eminence Symphony Orchestra founded in Sydney, Australia is an independent symphony orchestra which delves into the classical music featured in video games and anime, as well as film scores.
Zatoichi is a 2003 Japanese Jidaigeki action film, directed, written, co-edited by and starring Takeshi Kitano in his 11th directorial venture. Kitano plays the role of the blind swordsman.
Akira Nishimura was a Japanese composer from Osaka.
Kim Hong-jae is a Zainichi Korean conductor.
Miyuki Nakajima is the eponymous album by the Japanese singer-songwriter Miyuki Nakajima, released in March 1988.
"Gake no Ue no Ponyo" is the eponymous theme song to the Studio Ghibli film Ponyo, released on December 5, 2007. It was performed by folk group Fujioka Fujimaki and then eight-year-old Nozomi Ōhashi.
Bravo Music is a concert band music publishing company, founded in 1999. Located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, it is a subsidiary of Hiroshima-based Brain Music. It is one of the few companies to offer original Japanese sheet music and recordings to America and Europe.
The music for the role-playing video game series Ni no Kuni, developed by Level-5 and published in Western regions by Bandai Namco Entertainment, is primarily composed by Joe Hisaishi and performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Hisaishi, known for his previous work on Studio Ghibli films, agreed to work on the games after witnessing the development team's passion for the project. He aimed to make the music reflect the fantasy genre, creating a compatibility between the soundtracks and the game worlds.
Amanda Wu is a Taiwanese jazz/classical pianist, singer-songwriter, arranger, fashion influencer, and inspirational speaker. She is the first and only Taiwanese musician to be selected by Cirque Du Soleil. At 28 years old, she was invited to give a speech and perform at TED x Taipei about the topic "The Power of Journey". Wu is well known for creating eclectic, Jazzy-pop style of music with deep classical influence.
Kemushi no Boro is a 2018 Japanese animated short film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki made for the Ghibli Museum. It premiered at the museum on March 21, 2018.
Children of the Sea is a 2019 Japanese animated film directed by Ayumu Watanabe and produced by Eiko Tanaka, with animation production by Studio 4°C. It is based on the manga of the same title by Daisuke Igarashi, who also wrote the film's screenplay. It is Watanabe's first theatrically released film since Space Brothers #0 (2014), and the first animated film adaptation of an Igarashi manga. The film stars the voices of Mana Ashida, Hiiro Ishibashi and Seishū Uragami. Set by and in the ocean and themed on the mysteries of life, it depicts the connections between humanity and nature. It was released in Japan on June 7, 2019.
Hideo Saitō, is a Japanese musician and composer, best known for his collaborations with Chisato Moritaka from 1987 to 1995. He is also the producer of the musical cat group Musashi's.
The music for Studio Ghibli's 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film Spirited Away directed by Hayao Miyazaki, features a score composed by Joe Hisaishi and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic symphony orchestra. Hisashi received critical acclaim and numerous accolades for his work in the film. An original soundtrack that contains 20 tracks from the film score and one song was released in July 2001, whereas an image album that had five songs and five instrumentals, released three months before, in April 2001. Both of them were re-issued on a double disc vinyl LP in 2020.
The music to Studio Ghibli's 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film Howl's Moving Castle directed by Hayao Miyazaki, featured a score composed by Joe Hisaishi, Miyazaki's regular collaborator and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic orchestra. Hisaishi had introduced several leitfmotifs for the first time, as his previous scores for the Miyazaki and Ghibli ventures did not have leitmotifs. But, the leitmotifs written for the film, led him space for experimenting the themes, and is different from that of Hollywood film music where "the leitmotif appears very clearly and is very easy to remember". His approach to the score was "a kind of international feel" where he could use sophisticated orchestration to reflect the dense orchestral styles associated in Hollywood films.
The soundtrack to the Japanese drama film Departures directed by Yōjirō Takita featured musical score written and produced by Joe Hisaishi and featured orchestral performances from the Tokyo Metropolitan and NHK Symphony Orchestras. It was released as Departures Original Soundtrack on 10 September 2008, three days before the film's release, by A&M Records. Also preceding the album, is the image song "Okuribito", the film's title theme, performed by Ai, being released on the same date.
The Boy and the Heron (Original Soundtrack) (君たちはどう生きるか サウンドトラック, Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka Saundotorakku) is the film score and soundtrack album to the 2023 Japanese animated fantasy film of the same name, directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. It consists of 37 tracks, featuring musical score composed by Joe Hisaishi, a longtime collaborator of both the director and the producer, and the film's main theme "Spinning Globe", performed by Kenshi Yonezu. The soundtrack was released through Tokuma Japan Communications on August 9, 2023.
