Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ryohei Miyazaki. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ryohei, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve never thought about doing anything other than music. I started playing the piano when I was a child, and after winning the top prize in a piano competition, I decided to seriously pursue a career in music. The turning point that led me to composition and arranging, not just performance, was an original musical I produced before entering Berklee College of Music. I was in charge of composing, arranging, music directing, and producing. Until then, I had mainly worked in small groups as a performer, but this time, nearly 50 people were involved. Seeing my music come to life through the hands of others gave me a strong sense of joy and made me want to keep creating music in that way.

Ryohei, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Ryohei Miyazaki, and I’m a pianist, composer, arranger, and music director originally from Japan, currently based in Boston, where I study Film Scoring at Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship.
Before entering Berklee, I was part of a piano duo unit, producing several albums and performing in numerous concerts. I also created an original musical as a composer, arranger, and music director. In addition, I worked as a video editor and accompanist for a classical music lesson streaming service.
Since enrolling at Berklee as a Film Scoring major, I’ve been actively involved in a wide range of projects as an arranger and pianist. One highlight was serving as an arranger for the Singers Showcases in 2024 fall and 2025 spring, one of Berklee’s most prestigious events. I also played keyboard in the Commencement concert this year. I’ve also arranged music for singer-songwriters I collaborate with and had the opportunity to perform at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles. More recently, I arranged music for a Dragon Ball concert held in Taiwan, blending my love of pop culture with orchestration.
In addition to composing for film and theater, I frequently arrange for large ensembles, serve as a music director, and work as a copyist and music editor to ensure that all scores are clear and ready for performance. My goal is to bring artistic visions to life—whether through a concert, recording session, or film score—with precision, emotion, and collaboration.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The reward feeling that I get from playing piano and writing or arranging is somewhat different—but whatever they have in common is the moment when the sound that I play or write is beautiful. It might sound egotistical-sounding, but I am truly moved when the music that I had heard inside is equal to what I hear. That joining of my internal vision and the real sound in the world is highly potent.
When I’m performing, of course, I do feel love for performing myself—that’s something I carry with me anyway. But other than that, I think it’s the performer’s job to create something that can happen and can bring the audience into it and be with it. Bringing that in the moment is one of the greatest things about performing live.
When I arrange or orchestrate, I try to honor the original intent and origin of the piece as much as possible. The most fulfilling part for me is giving color into the music without destroying its originality. And the greatest thrill is when composer, music director, and audience all enjoy listening. That’s when I get to experience the magic of music the most.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of the biggest perseverance in my life was in 2020, when I auditioned for Berklee College of Music for the first time. Sadly, the timing caught up with the COVID-19 pandemic and I could not secure enough scholarship, hence had to make the choice of abandoning the opportunity. I was studying at a high school specializing in music, but looking back, I think I was sidestepping the issue of whether or not I could really be a professional musician.
Even though I had to drop out of Berklee the initial time, the pandemic then gave me some unexpected time at home. It is during this period that I started studying jazz, opening my ears to a whole new horizon of music. I started arranging musicals and pop music too, and observed how all the learning and all the techniques that I had done in my years could find new and useful combinations.
I enrolled in a Berklee partnership school in Kobe, Japan. Three years later, in 2023, I auditioned for Berklee again—and this time, I got a full scholarship and was finally able to come to Boston to study.
What I thought was a dark and dreary period in the pandemic was really a turning point in my music career. It wasn’t an detour, it was a reinvention. What I’ve learned from it is that setbacks can be the bricks of growth, and I keep reminding myself of that every day.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miyazaki_ryohei/