In a small town in the heart of Japan, 13-year-old Hiroya Tsukamoto discovered the banjo and taught himself to play bluegrass tunes for his dad, who was a fan of traditional Appalachian music. He went on to master the guitar, and in 1999 Tsukamoto won a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music, which brought him to the U.S., where he’s been making records that “convey honesty and nature,” and touring ever since. Rochester City Newspaper says Tsukamoto’s “brand of fingerstyle guitar is so intricate, and so blazingly fast at the same time.”
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