Joe Hisaishi

Bio

Joe Hisaishi is a Japanese composer, conductor, and pianist best known for his long-standing collaboration with filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. Since scoring the 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, he has created the soundtracks for nearly every subsequent Studio Ghibli feature, including Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke. Born in Nakano, Japan, in 1950, Hisaishi studied composition at Kunitachi College of Music and initially worked in minimalist and contemporary classical music before turning to film scoring. His orchestral writing often blends Western classical traditions with Japanese scales and instrumentation, creating a distinctive, emotionally direct style. Beyond Ghibli, Hisaishi has composed for live-action films, video games, and concert works, and he regularly conducts his own music with orchestras worldwide. His scores have received numerous domestic awards and international recognition, cementing his reputation as one of Japan’s most influential living composers.