Joe Hisaishi with the Colorado Symphony

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Featured Artists

Joe Hisaishi

Description

Joe Hisaishi is one of the most celebrated composers of our time. He has established himself as a formidable force in contemporary music for his delicately crafted symphonic and solo works, as well as his globally successful film music. His credits include 12 enchanting, animated Studio Ghibli films, including Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning works, as well as being the Composer-in-Association of Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Composer in Residence for the Philadelphia Orchestra. In his Boettcher Concert Hall debut, Hisaishi will conduct a new Concerto for Orchestra that was co-commissioned by the Colorado Symphony.

Written in five movements and running approximately 45 minutes, the Concerto for Orchestra follows a form made iconic by composers such as Béla Bartók, Witold Lutoslawski, and Zoltán Kodály, placing the orchestra itself at the center of expression. Hisaishi notes, “My aim has been to pursue the pure motion of sound,” drawing on his experience conducting works including Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra and Steve Reich’s The Desert Music. The work’s first and third movements feature driving rhythmic textures, while the inner movements highlight lyrical solo passages for individual instruments. The final movement brings these rhythmic and lyrical elements together.

Join us for HalfNotes, a fun and family-friendly activity prior to the performance.