Film fans, get ready to scramble for tickets to this one. It’s gonna be an absolute corker. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has just announced a very special string of performances plucked from the legendary Studio Ghibli‘s greatest and most iconic film scores.
The films of the incomparable and hugely beloved Hayao Miyazaki will come roaring to life at the stunning Hamer Hall, with film composer Joe Hisaishi travelling to Melbourne to conduct the MSO through his scores as montages from Ghibli’s beloved films plays out on a giant screen behind the orchestra.
The performances are set to pluck orchestral pieces from globally acclaimed films like My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Princess Mononoke.
Hisaishi’s work has long been linked to Miyazaki and Ghibli, with the 67-year-old composer crafting the score for nine Ghibli films spanning a 30-year collaborative relationship with Miyazaki.
The live concert experience is expected to be quite immersive and moving, with the nation’s oldest and most revered orchestra being lead by one of the most influential and highly regarded film composers of all time.
Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki is an Australian premiere performance, and will be exclusive the the Arts Centre in Melbourne.
Japan’s consul-general Kazuyoshi Matsunaga touted the upcoming performances as a true highlight of Melbourne’s upcoming arts calendar in a short statement accompanying today’s announcement.
These performances will be the perfect way to showcase Japanese culture here in Victoria. The works of Studio Ghibli and Mr Hisaishi’s iconic scores are already known and loved throughout Australia, and I know this will be a highlight of Melbourne’s cultural calendar this autumn.
The MSO and Hisaishi performances are scheduled for two shows only, on Friday April 27th and Saturday April 28th, with both shows starting at 7:30pm.
Tickets for this, frankly, incredible-sounding spectacle go on sale to the pubic on Monday, February 12th.
You can find all the vital info via the MSO website.
