Few composers have shaped the emotional language of animation quite like Joe Hisaishi. Across four decades of collaboration with Studio Ghibli, his music has become inseparable from some of cinema’s most beloved stories, elevating moments of wonder, melancholy and triumph with remarkable elegance. While audiences have long associated these melodies with the studio’s breathtaking animation, hearing them performed live offers an entirely different perspective. Over multiple sold-out concerts, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), under the direction of conductor Gerard Salonga, celebrated Hisaishi’s extraordinary body of work through Symphonic Ghibli II, a programme spanning Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbour Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away.
The excitement inside the hall was evident well before the orchestra took to the stage. With every seat occupied, the atmosphere carried the anticipation of an audience eager to revisit cherished childhood memories. As the musicians made their final preparations, subtle touches immediately hinted that this would be more than a conventional orchestral concert. A handful of performers appeared in charming costumes inspired by Studio Ghibli characters, with the likes of Totoro and No-Face adding an extra layer of whimsy before a single note had been played.
From the opening moments of “Kiki’s Delivery Service: Symphonic Suite”, the orchestra demonstrated remarkable control and warmth, capturing the buoyant optimism that defines the film. Yet it was “My Neighbour Totoro – Orchestra Stories” that proved to be the evening’s most enchanting surprise. Accompanied by narration that gently guided the audience through the story, the performance unfolded with the comforting intimacy of a bedtime story, allowing the music to breathe between spoken passages. Rather than feeling like a simple retelling, the narration deepened the emotional connection to Hisaishi’s score, drawing listeners into Totoro’s gentle world with effortless charm.
Following the interval, the concert continued with “Howl’s Moving Castle: Symphonic Variation Merry-Go-Round and Cave of Mind”, before culminating in the sweeping “Spirited Away Symphonic Suite”. Here, the orchestra displayed both technical precision and emotional sensitivity, moving seamlessly between moments of delicate introspection and exhilarating grandeur. Throughout the programme, Salonga maintained confident command of the ensemble, ensuring every section of the orchestra contributed to the rich, cinematic textures that define Hisaishi’s writing.
Unlike a film-with-live-orchestra presentation, these orchestral suites invited audiences to experience the music on its own terms. Freed from the visuals, Hisaishi’s compositions revealed fresh intricacies, from playful woodwind passages to soaring string melodies that might otherwise go unnoticed beneath the animation. It was a reminder that these scores possess a timeless quality independent of the films themselves.
From beginning to end, the evening rarely put a foot wrong. The sold-out crowd responded with unwavering enthusiasm, rewarding the orchestra with radiating enthusiasm after each suite and a thunderous applause at the concert’s close. More than a nostalgic celebration of Studio Ghibli, Symphonic Ghibli II stood as a testament to the enduring brilliance of Joe Hisaishi’s music and the MPO‘s ability to bring it vividly to life.
