The music of Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle will reach Brisbane in orchestral form this week. Queensland Symphony Orchestra is presenting Art of the Score: The Music of Joe Hisaishi at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on 2 and 3 October 2026, with both concerts starting at 7.30 pm.
For Studio Ghibli fans, the program includes a suite from Spirited Away, a symphonic variation of “Merry-Go-Round of Life” from Howl’s Moving Castle, and music from My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service among many, many, many other theatrical works. The selection offers a chance to hear those familiar themes performed by a full orchestra.
Conductor Nicholas Buc joins Art of the Score podcasters Andrew Pogson and Dan Golding to guide audiences through the composer’s work. Each performance runs for about two hours and 20 minutes, including an interval. Booking information can be found via the QSO website. The concerts are produced in association with Concert Lab.
