Every few years a young player arrives whose technical command makes even seasoned listeners sit up — and in Haruna Miyagawa, Japan has produced exactly such an artist. Born on 27 May 2002 in Tokushima Prefecture, she has emerged in her early twenties as one of the most talked-about new guitarists in the world, a performer who pairs dazzling fluency with genuine expressive range.
A breakthrough win
The moment that announced her to the wider world came in 2025, when she won the Segovia International Guitar Competition — regarded as one of the three most important contests in the guitar world. A victory at that level does not simply add a line to a biography; it transforms a career almost overnight, and it has made Miyagawa one of the most sought-after young musicians on the classical scene.
The virtuoso repertoire
What you notice first about Miyagawa is fearlessness in the face of the instrument's most demanding music. Her concert programmes have included Paganini's formidable Caprice No. 24, Mauro Giuliani's Grande Ouverture, Villa-Lobos's études, and a guitar reading of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 — repertoire that punishes anything less than complete control. Yet the technique is never the whole story: critics and audiences have responded to the expressive warmth and shapeliness she brings to it.
An artist to watch
Miyagawa is at the very beginning of what looks set to be a major international career, with concert tours already taking her name beyond Japan. For listeners discovering the classical guitar's next generation, she is among the most exciting names to follow — proof that the instrument continues to find extraordinary young voices.
FAQ
Where is Haruna Miyagawa from?
She was born in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, in 2002.
What is her most important achievement?
Winning the 2025 Segovia International Guitar Competition, one of the guitar world's leading contests.
What does she play?
Virtuoso repertoire including Paganini, Giuliani, Villa-Lobos and transcriptions such as Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.
