A Pasadena concert brings together the music of Joe Hisaishi, RADWIMPS and Ado

Season 13 of the Third@First concert series in Pasadena kicks off with "Echoes of Japan", a piano recital by Junko Ueno Garrett featuring composers and artists such as Joe Hisaishi, RADWIMPS, Ado, YOASOBI, Hikaru Utada, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Takashi Yoshimatsu. The event is on November 21 at 4:00 pm at the First United Methodist Church of Pasadena.

Garrett, the series' artistic coordinator, put together a program with several well-known anime pieces. From Hisaishi, she will play "Innocent" from Castle in the Sky, "Resphoina" from Arion and "One Summer's Day" from Spirited Away. The program also includes pieces like "First Love" by Hikaru Utada, "Sparkle" and "Zen Zen Zense" by RADWIMPS, from Your Name, and "New Genesis" by Ado, from One Piece.

The concert is part of this season's theme, "Many Voices, One Stage: Harmony Across Cultures," and admission is free, with a voluntary collection to support the series. Garrett specializes in Japanese music and has received an award from the Consulate General of Japan.

Third@First presents free live music of different genres on the third Saturday of each month, with events scheduled through June 2027. The season includes European chamber music, Japanese anime, gospel and Irish melodies.

If you live near Pasadena or happen to be around, it's a chance to hear live themes that usually only play during credits or the most intense moments of an anime. Would you go to a concert like this? Tell us in the comments which piece you'd like to hear on piano.