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.
Her compositions range from classical to jazz, pop, ambient, and more. In September 2024, she released her first solo piano single, Improvisational Variations, and in February 2026, she released her debut solo piano album, ICHI. The album has been featured on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds.
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 selected for BAFTA-qualifying festivals such as the Glasgow Short Film Festival and the Cardiff Animation Festival. In 2024, she also scored the live-action short thriller film, Special Violent Interests, shown at the Raindance Film Festival.
As a pianist, she has also won multiple accolades, including the Silver Prize in the Sonata Concours in Japan, runner-up in the Mozart Concours in Japan, and a finalist in the Chopin Piano Competition in Asia. As a keyboardist, she has joined various artists for both recordings and live shows, including the Japanese boy band UNIONE.
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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.
For research inquiries, please go to: https://www.sfb1671.uni-heidelberg.de/de/ueber-uns/personen-a-z/ryoka-hagiwara-ma
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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.