Ravensurst Philharmonic Orchestra

Ayano Yoshizaki
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Ayano Yoshizaki began playing the piano at the age of four. She graduated from Kitakamakura Girls' Junior & Senior High School with a major in piano.
After entering the Department of Conducting at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2019, she received the Ryohei Miyata Scholarship and the Ataka Prize on campus. He also received the Acanthus Music Award, Hiroshi Wakasugi Memorial Fund Award, and Toride Mayor's Award upon graduation from the undergraduate program, and was selected to perform with the Philharmonia Orchestra of the University of the Arts in the May 2023 New Graduate Introduction Concert.
He was accepted to the Young Conductor Training Support Program of the Nippon Steel Foundation in 2023, and studied as a Conducting Fellow of the Kioi Hall Chamber Orchestra.
In August 2024, he made his debut with the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. He also won the Third Prize and the Hideo Saito Special Award at the Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024.
He has studied conducting under Ken Takaseki, Kazushi Yamashita, and Akito Mihara, and piano under Keiko Onishi and Sayaka Shimada. She has attended master classes with Jolt Naji, Shaan Edwards, Fabio Luisi, and Tatsuya Shimono.

Risa Toho
Graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, majoring in organ, and completed the graduate course at the same university. She received the Ataka Prize, the Ryohei Miyata Scholarship, the Acanthus Music Prize, and the Graduate School Acanthus Music Prize. Completed an organist internship at Yokohama Minatomirai Hall. Studied at the Freiburg University of Music and Performing Arts as an overseas music trainee under the Meiji Yasuda Quality of Life Cultural Foundation, receiving a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) upon completion of the program and completing the master's program with the highest honors.
In 2022, she won second prize at the Maria Hofer International Organ Competition; in 2023, she won third prize in the organ category at the Mendelssohn Competition in Berlin; in 2023, she won second prize and audience prize at the 9th Musashino City International Organ Competition; in 2024, she won a special prize at the Hermann Schröder International Organ Competition; and in 2023, she won the NHK-FM "Recital" Award. She has appeared on NHK-FM's "Recital Passio" and other programs. She has studied organ under Gaku Kondo, Rie Hiroe, Matthias Meyerhofer, and Humfried Lücke.
She is currently enrolled in the National Performer Certificate Program at the Freiburg University of Music and Performing Arts and studying at the Mozarteum University Salzburg as an exchange student. 2024 Rohm Music Foundation Scholarship recipient.