Gagaku player Hideki Togi was born in Tokyo in 1959. The Togi family has long carried the tradition of Gagaku (ancient Japanese court music), tracing its history with Gagaku as far back as the Nara period (1300 years ago). Due to his father"s job, Hideki spent his childhood abroad and grew up surrounded by various kinds of music including rock, classical, and jazz. After graduating from high school, he joined the music department of the Imperial Household Agency. His main focus there was the Japanese instrument, the hichiriki. However, he also gained experience with the biwa, the tsuzumi and the cello, in addition to singing and dancing. By participating not only in ceremonies at the Imperial Palace but also in performances overseas, Hideki has played an important role in introducing traditional Japanese culture both at home and abroad, and promoting international friendship. He also passionately creates his own music by combining the natural flavour of Gagaku with piano and synthesizers. Since moving into the limelight in 1996 with his debut album "Togi Hideki," he has continued to generate one album after another. He has also held an Album Release Japan Tour every year since 1999. His 2000 album TOGISM2 received a Japan Record Award for best project. He has also won Gold Disc Awards for Album of the Year in traditional Japanese music eight times since his 2000 release "Gagaku."

This is his first appearance at PMF.