Ryoka Hagiwara is an award-winning composer, songwriter, pianist, and keyboardist based in Edinburgh, UK. Originally from Tokyo, Japan, she grew up in London, playing piano and composing from the age of 2. Her music references her cultural identity and heritage through the exploration of music and space, often incorporating swirling and delicate piano melodies.

With an undergraduate degree in piano performance and creative music practice from the Showa University of Music and a Master’s (with Distinction) in composition from the University of Edinburgh, she is currently working towards a PhD in musicology and transcultural studies at Heidelberg University in Germany. In her Master’s final project and dissertation, she explored cultural identity through the lens of cross-cultural composition. Alongside her doctoral research, she also contributes to Heidelberg University’s interdisciplinary research project funded by the German Research Foundation on the concept of “home” as a research assistant in the musicology department. Within the research project, Ryoka specialises in Japanese music, including traditional Japanese instruments such as biwa and koto.

Ryoka’s composition work ranges from classical to jazz, pop, ambient, and more. In September 2024, she released her first solo piano single, Improvisational Variations, which can be found on all major music streaming sites, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Bandcamp. She is currently working on her debut solo piano album, which is funded by Creative Scotland in conjunction with the National Lottery. Aside from her personal projects, Ryoka also enjoys collaborating with other artists, including filmmakers and musicians. Most recently, she composed the score for an animated short fantasy film entitled Aster, which was presented at the Anchorage International Film Festival. In 2024, she also scored the live-action short thriller film, Special Violent Interests, shown at the Raindance Film Festival.

She also writes as a music critic and journalist under the name “Rhea” Hagiwara. Currently, she is a regular contributor to The Skinny and The Cusp, writing features, live reviews, and covering new music. Her writing has also been featured in multiple publications, including Japanese classical music magazine Musicanova and Ongaku no Tomo.

As a pianist and keyboardist, she is a member of the Edinburgh-based Americana band Fabletown. She has also won multiple accolades as a classical pianist, such as Silver Prize in the Sonata Concours in Japan, runner-up in the Mozart Concours also based in Japan, and was a finalist in the Chopin Piano Competition in Asia.