The celebrated composer-conductor will take over the Esplanade Concert Hall for two nights this November.
Singapore’s live events calendar rarely lacks choice, but some performances arrive with a little more weight than the rest. Joe Hisaishi’s upcoming stop in the Lion City is one of them. On 12 and 13 November 2026, the legendary Japanese composer-conductor will bring his World Dream Tour to the Esplanade Concert Hall, joined by the Orchestre de Paris for what is shaping up to be one of the most transportive classical events on the calendar.
For many, Hisaishi’s name is inseparable from the emotional pull of Hayao Miyazaki’s films. He is the composer behind some of Studio Ghibli’s most enduring music, and his work has long occupied a space where orchestral grandeur meets tenderness, melancholy and wonder. In Singapore, that sensibility will be felt in full. The programme includes Debussy’s Petite Suite, Hisaishi’s Symphonic Suite “Princess Mononoke”, and Concerto for Orchestra, which will receive its Southeast Asia premiere at these performances.
That line-up alone would make this worth circling on the calendar, but the scale of the event adds even more appeal. This marks the Orchestre de Paris’ first-ever tour to Singapore, and the first major European or US orchestra tour to the country since 2020.
There is also something especially fitting about Hisaishi appearing at the Esplanade. His music has always felt cinematic without losing its intimacy, and that balance should translate beautifully in the concert hall. Expect an evening that moves between delicacy and drama, from the impressionistic elegance of Debussy to the sweeping, nature-laced emotion of Princess Mononoke, before closing with a contemporary work designed to showcase the orchestra at full stretch.
How to get tickets
Tickets are priced from S$88 to S$558 via SISTIC, making this one of those rare concerts that will appeal equally to seasoned classical listeners, Studio Ghibli devotees, and anyone simply looking for a night of world-class live music. For Singapore, it is a notable date on the cultural calendar. For everyone lucky enough to be in the room, it promises to linger long after the final note.
Location: Esplanade Concert Hall, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore, 038981
Date: 12 and 13 November 2026
Price: Tickets range from S$88 to S$558
Contact: www.sistic.com.sg