Tohi Harada, guitar

Japanese guitarist Tohi Harada is studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London supported by a generous scholarship, and is the recipient of many prizes at international competitions.

He first took up the guitar at the age of 3, and during his childhood in Japan, he won first place in more than ten junior competitions. He was also actively volunteering and performing in various care homes.

In 2019, he was awarded 1st Prize at the East End International Guitar Competition in Japan. This led to the opportunity to release his first debut album 'To-i' in 2020, which received the 'Recording Prize.' In his debut solo concert in 2021, he performed ‘Pictures at the Exhibition’ by Modest Mussorgsky. This gained nationwide attention and was broadcast on Japanese national television.

In the same year, he travelled abroad to study in London at the Royal Academy of Music under Professor Michael Lewin. He has also attended a number of Masterclasses with distinguished guitarists such as Alvaro Pierri, David Russell, Fabio Zanon, Judicael Perroy, and Thibaut Garcia. Moreover, he has been awarded the Julian Bream Trust for three consecutive years, where he performed in front of legendary guitarist John Williams.

Starting this academic year, he will be continuing his studies at the Royal Academy of Music, working towards a Master’s in Guitar Performance under Professor Michael Lewin and Steve Goss. As he strives to strengthen his solo performance and prepare for prestigious competitions, he has also been expanding his expertise into chamber music. Most recently, he has been collaborating with a flautist and a guitarist, exploring new repertoire and enjoying the different musical challenges that come with playing in a duo. With his flute partner, he performed at St. Mary of Charity Church in Faversham and, together, they have more concerts planned for the future. With his guitar duo, he was awarded 2nd prize at the Veria international Guitar Competition (Duo Category) in 2024.

For his solo work, he has recently been invited to be a guest performer at a variety of occasions. In 2024, he was a guest performer at the 17th Veria International Guitar festival in Greece and the UK-Japan Music Society’s 32nd Christmas Concert in London. In 2025, he once again was invited to perform for the UK-Japan Music Society, at their Spring Concert in London.

Alongside his concert work, Tohi has been actively participating in international competitions and has won over 15 awards. Some of his notable achievements have been 2nd Prize and the 'Audience Prize at the Aalborg Guitar Competition (Denmark) in 2022, and 1st Prize at Albania International Guitar Competition (Albania) in 2023, 1st Prize at Veria International Guitar Competition (Greece) in 2023, 'Ida Presti' International Guitar Competition(Croatia) in 2024, Guitar Art International Competition (Serbia) in 2024, Brussels International Guitar Competition (Belgium) in 2024 and Ivor Mairants Guitar Award (United Kingdom) in 2025.

Finally, he has been selected as one of the six awardees for the 2025 Yamaha Music Foundation Scholarship – one of the two most prestigious music scholarships in Japan.