YOSHIKI Delivers Orchestral Splendor at Walt Disney Concert Hall

YOSHIKI
Walt Disney Concert Hall – July 16, 2026
Live Report by Molly Coggshall
Photos courtesy of YOSHIKI

World-renowned musician and composer YOSHIKI made a triumphant return to Los Angeles on July 16 at The Walt Disney Concert Hall. With its sweeping, contemporary architecture and vineyard style seating, the Walt Disney Concert Hall perfectly complemented YOSHIKI’s classical night of music. An iconic site in downtown Los Angeles, the venue seemed fitting for such an illustrious musician.

The evening of classical arrangements was part of a two-night immersive musical experience, “Scarlet Night” on July 16 followed by “Violet Night” on July 17. The audience flooded into the terraced seating of the auditorium and the rows became packed with elegantly dressed attendees. The sold-out venue was brimming with the anticipation of the night ahead.

Orchestra members began to file into the center of the stage and the sounds of violins, violas, and the dramatic addition of cellos, set the atmosphere for the concert with a classical arrangement of X JAPAN’s “DAHLIA”.

When the song finished, a video screen behind the orchestra began to play. The video recounted the incredible and dynamic life YOSHIKI has led as a performer, and the tragic events of the loss of his family and peers that have shaped the person he has become. To the great enthusiasm of the audience, YOSHIKI appeared on stage in a silver tailcoat as the video ended.

YOSHIKI sat down at the grand piano on the edge of the orchestra and began to play the beginning of another X JAPAN song, “Kurenai”. Red floor lights lit up around him and a brilliant display of crimson spotlights flooded the stage, aptly setting up the theme of the evening, “Scarlet Night”.

Vocalist Beverly joined in for a classical arrangement of “Amethyst”, her soprano voice showcased beautifully and accompanied by violins and YOSHIKI’s piano. After the melancholy music faded, YOSHIKI addressed the audience. The musician spoke of how he had been an audience member himself at the Walt Disney Concert Hall before, but he had never performed at the venue before that night. YOSHIKI mentioned to the audience, “I can’t believe I’m standing on this stage.”

YOSHIKI then asked the crowd if they could get their phone lights ready for the next song and promptly announced “Kiss the Sky”. Sitting down at the piano, he began to play, but quickly stopped and exclaimed, “Oh, no. I forgot!” and then immediately pulled out his phone and filmed a video of the crowd roaring with delight behind him. “Kiss the Sky” began again with delicate notes from the piano, and the audience waved phone lights and sang with Beverly, creating an ethereal effect within the auditorium.

YOSHIKI seamlessly introduced his special guest Perry Farrell by recounting fond memories of departed guitarist of X JAPAN, HIDE, and his love for Jane’s Addiction. YOSHIKI had called Farrell up recently, and Farrell told YOSHIKI how he had always wanted to play an orchestral arrangement of the song “I’m Not in Love” by 10cc. Farrell got his wish, and he sang softly to the orchestral cover. When the classic rock adaptation came to an end, YOSHIKI thanked him and told Farrell that he was “extremely grateful” for his willingness to be a guest star.

A somber Nocturne by Chopin shifted the mood, with its dramatic, emotional piano notes, bringing the energy of the room to a lull. YOSHIKI called out “last song” before a pause in the concert and described the next song was about someone watching a river that was reflecting the night sky above, and reminiscing about the people they have lost. YOSHIKI told the crowd that he was nervous about performing the song, as it was a new composition and only the second time the song had been played before. “La Senna” proved to be a beautiful addition to the set list, as vocalist Larisa Martinez sang passionately in Italian, her powerful vocals filling the concert hall with its operatic style.

A twenty-minute intermission in the concert saw audience members milling about in the lobby and sipping wine. As the intermission concluded, “Anniversary”, the song that YOSHIKI originally composed for the tenth anniversary of the emperor of Japan, floated throughout the room and announced YOSHIKI’s dramatic reentry into the concert hall, this time dawning a shimmering scarlet tailcoat.

A classical arrangement of the highly popular X JAPAN song “JADE” followed YOSHIKI’s reappearance. Several classicals came after, including YOSHIKI’s “L’armes” and an adaptation of Bach’s “Air on the G string”. YOSHIKI stepped up to a large, transparent drum set above the orchestra and played a vigorous drum solo. His immense prowess during the solo showed off his ability to still drum as powerful as ever, despite three cervical spine surgeries. After he was finished, YOSHIKI commented, “I didn’t invite any doctors. I’m not supposed to do that!” while laughing.

“Say Anything” from X JAPAN, another fan favorite, explored the beauty of its classical arrangement with sweeping strings, and delicate, complex piano playing, bringing out new emotion from the song. “Do you believe in miracles?” commented YOSHIKI as he introduced “Miracle”, the song he initially collaborated with Sarah Brightman. It was sung with elegance by acclaimed soprano Larisa Martinez who filled the auditorium with a haunting reverence.

The night took a turn when YOSHIKI introduced Johnathan Davis, vocalist of KORN to a deaf-defying applause that shook the room. “Freak on a Leash” was reimagined into a classical masterpiece and saw YOSHIKI playing the drums with Davis singing next to him during the climax of the song.

Clip: “Freak On A Leash” – YOSHIKI & Jonathan Davis of Korn at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Addressing his fans, YOSHIKI told them that he was “still standing here because of them”. A video played behind him, showing clips of his loved ones over the years that he had lost, which through darkness and sadness, shaped the person he had become. It was a well-suited introduction to “Tears” from X JAPAN, a song that explores deep grief and loss and learning how to move towards healing and acceptance.

“RED SWAN,” initially written for the popular anime Attack on Titan, gave way to loud clapping and vocalist Beverly’s enchanting soprano voice floated around the concert hall. “ART OF LIFE”, an epic song composed by YOSHIKI during one of the darkest periods of his life, shook up the concert hall with brilliant red spotlights, while YOSHIKI used a DJ set to add sound effects, in an extended several minute classical rendition. Whimsical harps, weaving, somber violins and an emotional piano piece by YOSHIKI gave this song new life.

After “ART OF LIFE” finished, YOSHIKI stepped away from the piano and addressed the crowd, once again telling them that he “only existed because of them” his voice choking with emotion. The audience cheered and began chanting, “We are X!” which arose around him from the auditorium. The support from his fans seemed to give YOSHIKI renewed strength as he announced the last song, “ENDLESS RAIN”.

The audience sang along with the chorus to the song, their phone flashlights shimmering all around the stage while green spotlights flashed about. When the song ended, a massive applause came from the packed concert hall, and people stood up to give YOSHIKI a standing ovation. A flurry of confetti was released from behind the stage and added a colorful effect while YOSHIKI grabbed the hands of fans sitting in the front rows of the stage and in return received flowers and gifts from audience members.

YOSHIKI has sold out many prestigious venues during his extraordinary career, so it is unsurprising that he filled the Walt Disney Concert Hall to the brim. Despite facing rigorous medical challenges in his recent past, YOSHIKI took the stage with great elegance and stamina on July 16 and gave his audience a classical concert that will echo throughout the hearts of fans for years to come.

Set list:

1. DAHLIA (X JAPAN song)
2. Kurenai (X JAPAN song)
3. Amethyst
4. Kiss the Sky (X JAPAN song)
5. I’m Not in Love (10cc cover with Perry Farrell)
6. Nocturne No. 20 in C-sharp minor, Op. posth. (Fryderyk Chopin cover)
7. La Senna
8. Anniversary
9. JADE (X JAPAN song)
10. L’armes
11. Air on the G String (Johann Sebastian Bach cover)
12. Drum solo
13. Symfonia Pieśni żałosnych (Henryk Mikołaj Górecki cover)
14. Say Anything (X JAPAN song)
15. Miracle
16. Swan Lake (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky cover)
17. Freak on a Leash (Korn cover with Jonathan Davis)
18. Tears (X JAPAN song)
19. RED SWAN
20. ART OF LIFE (X JAPAN song)
21. ENDLESS RAIN (X JAPAN song)