Ryo Yoshimata is one of the most well-known composers in Japan now. Born in Kagoshima in 1959, Ryo started playing piano at 4 years old by following recommendation of his father. In 1977, he moved to Tokyo to enter Yokohama City University.

While he was a student, Ryo worked with many disco bands as a pianist and keyboardist. He turned professional in 1982 when he became a member of the band for the award-winning singer/actress and first woman in Japan to receive the People's Honor Award, Hibari Misora (1937-1989), through audition. While Ryo worked as a keyboardist with Revolver from 1984 to 1992, he also worked as a recording musician and an arranger for all sorts of musical genres.

His first composition of soundtrack music was for "Delicious Relationship," a Fuji broadcasting TV drama in 1996. Since then he has composed soundtrack music for numerous movies and TV programs, including "One million falling stars from the sky"(2002), "Dr. Coto Clinic"(2003, 2006), "Kokoro"(NHK morning drama series in 2003), "Garden of the Wind" (2008) and "Emergency Room 24PM [Series 4]" (2009) to establish himself as a soundtrack composer. In 2009, he released his greatest hits album, "Best Soundtracks ～Atsuhime Best and more ～."

His commissioned work for "Atsuhime," a 2008 Taiga Drama Series by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) includes 71 original songs as well as the drama's theme music. The overwhelming popularity of the drama and its soundtrack brought critical acclaim and commercial success to him. Ryo has received the Special Prefectural Governor Award from Kagoshima prefecture and became the Satsuma Good Will Ambassador in 2008. Subsequently, he also composed all the music of a 2011 NHK Taiga Drama Series "GOU ～War Era of Princesses～."

As a film composer, his soundtrack for "Between Calmness and Passion," a major hit movie in Japan in 2001, has become popular in Korea as well and has been appointed for many commercials. Also, he is the composer for the Japanese movies "A battery" (2007), "A love letter in a drawer"(2009), "Hankyu Railways - a 15 minute miracle" (2011), "Prefectural Hospitality Division" (2013) and more. In recent years, he has produced and arranged music for many well-known Japanese artists including Hiroko Yakushimaru, Yoshida-Yamada, aiko and more.

In July 2008, his first solo concert was held at the Hama-Rikyu Asahi Hall in Tokyo with 24 musicians. He also composed the commemoration music for the Hibiya Public Hall's 80th Anniversary and continues to work and collaborate with orchestras and other artists as a solo artist.

In 2011, Ryo composed and played music for the Off-Off Broadway play "KUTSUKAKE TOKIJIRO," which was performed at the Flea Theater for 3 weeks in New York. Also, he produced and performed his own overseas concert for the first time in Korea in 2014.

Ryo made a sold-out concert at Kagoshima Citizen's Cultural Hall in summer of 2015. By his popularity, 2000 tickets were sold out in a few hours. Also, as a commissioned work, he composed theme music for The 30th National Cultural Festival, the one of the biggest cultural events in Japan, which was held in Kagoshima from October 31st to November 15th, 2015.

(Source: yoshimataryo.com) Edit Biography