Royal Philharmonic Orchestra hires a composer
OrchestrasMessage received:
Japan’s most influential composer of film and classical music – Joe Hisaishi – has been appointed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) as its Composer-in- Association, with effect from 6 April 2024.
Joe Hisaishi is a revered Japanese composer who produced all the music for the magical Studio Ghibli animations of Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki. The appointment follows a successful collaboration on the ‘Symphonic Celebration’ album released on the Deutsche Grammophon label, after which the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra invited Joe Hisaishi to become its Composer-in-Association. The three-year appointment will include new commissions for the RPO, concerts in London and around the world, studio recordings as well as Maestro Hisaishi’s involvement in new digital and technology based RPO projects.
This appointment is the latest in a series of strategic additions to the RPO’s leadership team – following the appointment of Sarah Bardwell as the RPO’s new Managing Director and the recently appointed Director of Artistic Planning & Partnerships, Tom Philpott….
Why hasn’t a perfectly good British film music composer been appointed to this role??
There are several A list ones who would be suitable and pleased to be employed..
If they’re “perfectly good” presumably they’re employed pretty much full time already.
Wonder if it was like this when the RPS commissioned Beethoven 9. “Why are you hiring this filthy foreigner when Cipriani Potter and SS Wesley are available?”
Well, where ARE the A list British film composers? Turns out some of them DIED those past few years, like Christopher Gunning, or Barrington Pheloung. Who’s left? Can’t think of any, really.
Thomas do you mean…
Ann Dudley, Rachel Portman, Harry Gregson-Williams, George Fenton Steve Price, Debbie Wiseman, Rupert Gregson Williams, Craig Armstrong, David Arnold?
It’s not serious, it’s kitsch-pop/film music stuff, for audiences for whom classical music is ‘too difficult’ and whose ears have not as yet been cleansed of the remnants of adolescent abberations. It’s a money-making machine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pQKqQ9sG50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_zadsaPP-g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg-g2DH8GZw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejaD9M7sMiE
Even my PA doesn’t like it and that says it all.
As usual, you’re dumping on a composer working successfully in movies out of puree jealousy. They’re way more successful than you, so they must be bad. They get high-paying film jobs, you don’t. That’s the SOLE motivation behind those rants. He’s not the problem. YOU’re the problem. Because your own music just isn’t memorable in any way.
No, Thomas M you’re totally wrong in your analysis (which hints at you being a frustrated jobbing film composer)
the ‘real’reason is that the RPO are getting more gigs in Japan than ever before, (and good luck to them when this country doesn’t value or nurture their orchestras enough!) and this is a case of keeping in with the pop Jap composers in return for playing their pap in Jap and the UK!
PS may I suggest you send the RPO some of your pap or should that be *rap?
Very amusing… yes, I know, it’s all very difficult. Best is: keep trying!
Thanks for the link with 4.7 million views….presumably you can post your own figures?
Do numbers say anything at all? Think of the number of pop music enthusiasts. Classical music, i.e. concert music, was never a matter of large numbers. And then, this Mr Hisaishi apparently does not want te be considered a concert music composer, so there’s nowhere a reason to compare what he does with concert music. It’s the silly ignorati who think he writes ‘classical music’. That is OK, but such claims shoud be corrected.
I must admit I was very surprised by the appointment myself. But I see it as a sign of composers working primarily in film (and television) to finally get the respect they deserve. Unlike most self-billed “serious” composers today, they write music the public actually WANT to listen to. As such, I congratulate Mr. Hisaishi on this “job”, who certainly is a musician of vast experience and many talents, including those of a performer *and* conductor. He is not going to provide the RPO with a new Beethoven 9th, but I don’t think he’s expected to.
This comment touches an important point: new, contemporary serious concert music so often fails to ‘speak’ to the listener on a psychological level, so classical music audiences are left rather cold by music that does not engage them on more than the sonic level. But that does not mean that the ‘alternative’ of something that does indeed speak, but to a quite different type of audiences, is the only alternative there is.
It is like: a superb restaurant is inaccessible, so you resort to the worst MacDonalds in town, as if there were ony two such choices.
Wow the vitriol for a talented and extremely successful composer is breathtaking and that’s some overblown sense of self importance right there or maybe I should say delusional. Your criticism isn’t even objective; so I suspect the latter, and maybe you should stop projecting your insecurities because it’s actially quite pathetic. ” Even my PA doesn’t like it and that says it all” PA? What’s that stand for Personal Arselicker? Not to mention the musical snobbery.
I discovered Joe Hisaishi through Studio Ghibli. His compositions that accompany the magical animations of Hayao Myazaki are incredibly emotive and he has introduced many people to the art of Cinematic music which in some cases IS the classical music of today and that’s not a bad thing. So wind that neck in sit down and sssshhhh.
Oh…. yes, this composer is just right for the author of this comment. Congratulations are in place, someone has found his musical fulfillment – and found just the right music for himself. We should always encourage that!
“Bored Muso” – you really don’t know what you’re talking about, do you?
Are any UK orchestras doing more work in Japan than ever before?! A quick Google search tells me the RPO were last there in 2023 with Vasily Petrenko and I can’t find any future trips announced. Nothing in the announcement above speaks of working in Japan.
What I have just seen, though, is that the “pop Jap” (quasi racist slur has shown your true colours) music you seem to have such a problem with just sold 44000 tickets in a single weekend in Paris…. Two concerts, 22000 at each. Staggering numbers for an orchestral concert.
In a country that is increasingly intolerant and unsupportive of the Arts and Creative industries, how could you possibly complain about a British orchestra diversifying and bringing in an international superstar film composer for a resident position that will undoubtedly lead to a bigger partnership and an income stream for years ahead? Orchestras have to take the work they can get – such as the LPO going to China to mime for a film a few months ago. Such as the Philharmonia’s tour around mainland Europe happening this week. Such as the LSO’s frequency of touring to halls across the continent. You’re delusional if you think the UK orchestras will survive without this overseas revenue.
Could you recommend a British composer/artist to come in and bring in this number of ticket sales? I’m sure any of the major UK orchestras would be delighted to hear about it.
Perhaps you could grab yourself one of the remaining hospitality tickets for Hisaishi’s RPO concerts on the 23/24th November at the Royal Albert Hall – you never know, you might enjoy his Second Symphony…..?