MCTA: Masterful Japanese Guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto

Mountain City Traditional Arts

Masterful Japanese Guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto to Appear at MCTA

Frostburg State University’s Mountain City Traditional Arts will host masterful Japanese guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 4 p.m. at 25 E. Main St. in Frostburg. The live entertainment is open to the public through general admission with a suggested donation of $15.

Delivering “A Journey Through Strings and Stories,” Tsukamoto 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.

Tsukamoto is a one-of-a-kind composer, guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kyoto, Japan. He began playing the five-string banjo when he was 13 and took up the guitar shortly after.

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

Tsukamoto has been leading concerts internationally, including several appearances at Blue Note in New York City, the United Nations and Nippon Hoso Kyokai, or Japan Broadcasting Corporation. Tsukamoto is a two-time second-place winner of the 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.

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