Japanese Guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto to Appear at Mountain City Traditional Arts

Japanese Guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto to Appear at Mountain City Traditional Arts

Sep 12, 2025 9:00 AM

Frostburg State University's Mountain City Traditional Arts will host masterful Japanese guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m. at 25 E. Main St. in Frostburg. Delivering "A Journey Through Strings and Stories," Hiroya brings a blend of masterful fingerstyle guitar and evocative storytelling that transcends cultural barriers. His concerts are immersive experiences that weave lyrical narratives with intricate melodies.

Hiroya is a one-of-a-kind composer, guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kyoto, Japan. He began playing the five-string banjo when he was thirteen and took up the guitar shortly after.

In 2000, Hiroya received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music and came to the United States. He formed his own group in Boston "INTEROCEANICO (inter-oceanic)" which consists of unique musicians from different continents including Latin Grammy Colombian singer Marta Gomez. The group released three acclaimed records ("The Other Side of the World", "Confluencia" and "Where the River Shines"). Hiroya has released five solo albums.

Hiroya has been leading concerts internationally including several appearances at Blue Note (NYC), United Nations and Japanese National Television (NHK). Hiroya is a two-time 2nd place winner of International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in 2018 and 2022.

MCTA is a program of FSU and a founding member of Maryland's Folklife Network. It receives support from the Maryland Traditions Program of the State Arts Council. For more information, call 301-687-8040.