RECORD-BREAKING COMPOSER JOE HISAISHI ENTERS A NEW CHAPTER ACROSS CLASSICAL RECORDING AND LIVE PERFORMANCE
8/9/2026
“Few composers can sell out arenas. He’s one of them.”
— The New York Times
EXPANDED RECORDING AGREEMENT WITH DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON TO INCLUDE A NEW SUITE OF STUDIO GHIBLI SYMPHONIC WORKS
THREE NEW GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS FOR LANDMARK CONCERTS IN NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES AND TOKYO
MAJOR INTERNATIONAL TOURING, COMMISSIONS AND ORCHESTRAL PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS THREE CONTINENTS THROUGH TO 2030
LONDON [8 September 2026] — Joe Hisaishi, Japan’s most celebrated living composer, is entering a new phase of his recorded and live music career. He is further expanding his relationship with Deutsche Grammophon, part of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leading music-based entertainment company, through a new programme of releases alongside extensive international touring across North America, Europe and Asia. This follows a huge period for Hisaishi, who recently broke three Guinness World Records for his concerts at Radio City Music Hall in New York, the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Tokyo Dome.
Recognised as one of the world’s most influential artists, Joe Hisaishi has also become one of Japan’s most prominent cultural ambassadors, amassing more than 2.5 billion global streams across his recorded music catalogue to date. His 2023 debut album on Deutsche Grammophon, A Symphonic Celebration (Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki), became a worldwide success that has generated more than 200 million streams to date, topped Billboard’s Classical Chart in the US (setting a modern-era vinyl sales record for a classical album in a single week that year), peaked at No. 74 on the Billboard 200, and reached No. 1 across multiple international classical charts. Most recently, Hisaishi received three Guinness World Records recognising two landmark concert runs (the Hollywood Bowl & Tokyo Dome) and the longest single-run residency by a classical composer (Radio City Music Hall) — international success that The New York Times recently described as reflecting “[a] rare power that Hisaishi has as a composer and conductor.”
His renewed recording agreement with the Yellow Label – which marks the continuation of a long-standing artistic partnership – will see the release of a new slate of symphonic suites based on Hisaishi’s celebrated Studio Ghibli film scores over the coming years. Setting the stage for the forthcoming series, the recently announced Symphonic Suite: The Boy and the Heron for piano and orchestra will be released on 6 November. The world premiere recording, made with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, presents a work recomposed from his Golden Globe-nominated score of Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning Studio Ghibli film, and transforms the original soundtrack into a standalone concert piece for solo piano and orchestra.
On his renewed recording agreement and expanded partnership, Joe Hisaishi said: “I am very excited about this new phase across so many facets of my career. I look forward to having my dream of getting my music out to the widest audience through my live concerts, albums and all ways possible, come true.”
Dr. Clemens Trautmann, President of Deutsche Grammophon and New Business Strategy Global Classics, and Kleopatra Sofroniou, General Manager, Classics, Deutsche Grammophon commented: “Joe Hisaishi’s extraordinary worldwide success – spanning both the worlds of film music and classical performance – is a testament to the power of his profound artistry and uniquely original scores. It has been immensely rewarding to witness his reputation and audience continue to grow on a truly global scale. We are incredibly grateful to everyone around the world who has contributed to these projects, and to Joe and his creative management teams in Tokyo and London for their continued partnership and dedication. Looking ahead, we have exciting plans that will include several new recordings in original composition and film music, alongside collaborations with some of the world’s leading orchestras.”
Moema Parrott, CEO of HarrisonParrott Group, which represents Hisaishi globally, added: “This is an important and golden era for Joe, spanning every facet of his artistry – from live performance and recording, to classical and film composition, major residencies and awards. His extraordinary achievements, coupled with the continued growth of his global audience, reaffirm his position as one of the world’s most important contemporary classical composers. We’re honoured to represent Joe during this momentous period in his career and to work alongside Deutsche Grammophon in bringing his vision to audiences around the world.”
As Hisaishi’s international audience continues to grow, his official fan offering is expanding alongside it. Following the success of his online store in the United States, a new European storefront launches today with his first official merchandise collection featuring newly designed apparel and accessories including hoodies, T‑shirts, a tote bag, and notebook. Now available at https://JoeHisaishi.lnk.to/merch, the store provides fans across the region with a dedicated destination for official merchandise, releases and exclusive products.
Working alongside his global management team at HarrisonParrott across his creative and commercial activities, Hisaishi continues a major programme of touring, commissions, and institutional partnerships across the 2025 – 2027 seasons, with further touring planned through to 2030. Recently appointed as Compositeur in Résonance (Composer in Association) with the Paris Philharmonie, Hisaishi will work with the Orchestre de Paris across orchestral, chamber and film music, while continuing long-term positions with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic (as Composer in Residence and Composer in Focus, respectively).
This next chapter reflects the continued evolution of Hisaishi’s storied career in contemporary orchestral and film music, spanning more than four decades.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
September 17 — Toyonaka Performing Arts Center (Osaka, Japan)
September 18 — The Symphony Hall (Osaka, Japan)
September 19 — Izumi Hall (Osaka, Japan)
October 2 — Ziggo Dome (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
October 4 — Ziggo Dome (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
October 16 – 17 — Boettcher Concert Hall (Colorado, US)
October 22 — Davis Symphony Hall (San Francisco, US)
October 24 — Davis Symphony Hall (San Francisco, US)
November 4 — Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall (Tokyo, Japan)
November 12 – 13 — Esplanade Concert Hall (Singapore)
November 14 — The Star Theatre (Singapore)
November 23 — Royal Albert Hall (London, UK)
November 25 — Isarphilarmonie (Munich, Germany)
November 26 — Kultur-und Kongresszentrum (Lucerne, Switzerland)
November 28 — Liederhalle (Stuttgart, Germany)
November 30 — Philharmonie (Berlin, Germany)
December 2 — Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg, Germany)
December 7 — Suntory Hall (Tokyo, Japan)
December 9 — The Symphony Hall (Osaka, Japan)