British–Japanese cellist Haru Ogiwara is developing a voice as a soloist across concerto, recital, and chamber repertoires, striving for precise clarity and a driving energy in all his music.

 

He has a particular interest in 20th-century Russian and Eastern European repertoire, as well as contemporary music. In 2025, he worked with the Royal Academy’s Manson Ensemble on new music projects, including Artificial Paradise by Rubens Askenar, collaborating closely with the composer to explore extended techniques and the use of electronics to shape new qualities of sound on the cello.

Alongside this, he has performed solo works by Ligeti, Dallapiccola, and Kodály at festivals including Virtuoso & Belcanto (2023), Kronberg Cello Festival (2023), and the Geneva International String Festival (2024)—repertoire through which he continues to shape his own musical voice.

His work extends into a broader exploration of sound as communication, seeking to connect with new audiences beyond traditional concert settings, including collaborations in London with Mietze Conte and recording projects such as The Gaslight District (2025).

Haru was awarded First Prize at the Piatti Competition (2024) and is a recipient of the Aud Jebsen Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music (2023–), where he studies with Professor Hannah Roberts.

Away from the cello, he enjoys long walks and loves to read about Eastern European history . He performs on a cello by J.F. Wright (Newark, 2023), after the 1727 Goffriller ‘ex Shapiro’, with a bow by William Salchow.