Education and Membership

Born in Kobe, Japan, in 1999, Hiroki Tanaka began studying composition at the age of 10 under Yumi Saiki. After attending the Music High School at the Tokyo University of the Arts, he continued his composition studies at the university with Kunitaka Kokaji and graduated at the top of the composition faculty.

In 2022, he moved to Germany and completed his master’s degree at the University of Music Carl Maria von Weber Dresden in 2025, where he studied with Mark Andre and Stefan Prins.

He is currently enrolled in the Konzertexamen (postgraduate) program at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart, studying with Luxa Mart*in Schüttler and Hannes Seidl.

Hiroki Tanaka is a member of S-K-A-M (Stuttgarter Kollektiv für aktuelle Musik, “Stuttgart Collective for Contemporary Music”).

Scholarships and Awards

He received a scholarship from the Aoyama Music Foundation (2020), the Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists, administered by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan (2023–2025), and the Nomura Foundation (2026). He is currently receiving funding from the Deutschlandstipendium.

In 2021, Tanaka received the 38th JSCM Award for Young Composers and was a finalist for the 33rd Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Orchestra Music Composition in 2023.

Performed Compositions

Renowned ensembles and orchestras have performed Tanaka's works, including the Geidai Philharmonic Orchestra (University of the Arts Tokyo), New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Athens State Orchestra, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, and Quatuor Diotima.

His works have been presented at the Suntory Hall Summer Festival (Tokyo, Japan), the Budapest Spring Festival, and the Bludenz Days of Contemporary Music (Bludenz, Austria), with a new work scheduled to premiere at the ECLAT Festival (Stuttgart, Germany) in 2027.