Ryo Torikai

Silent Film Accompanist

Piano / Percussion

Japanese silent film accompanist based in Osaka, Japan.

He has accompanied more than 900 silent films and gives approximately 100–120 live performances annually at cinemas, film festivals, cultural institutions, and educational venues throughout Japan.

Specializing in live improvised accompaniment, he also curates screening programs and works to make silent cinema accessible to contemporary audiences through subtitles, lectures, and film presentations.

Available for

• Silent film screenings

• Solo piano accompaniment

• Percussion accompaniment

• Performances with benshi narrators

• Film festivals and archive screenings

• Lectures and workshops

• Film programming

• Subtitle preparation

Profile

Ryo Torikai is a Japanese silent film accompanist performing on piano and percussion.

His repertoire spans comedy, drama, horror, animation, documentary, and experimental film. He creates an original improvised score for each screening, responding closely to the film’s narrative, rhythm, atmosphere, and visual style.

He performs regularly at cinemas, film festivals, cultural institutions, educational venues, and outdoor events throughout Japan.

Torikai approaches silent film accompaniment as more than a musical performance. Through live music, programming, subtitles, lectures, and presentations, he works to shape the entire cinematic experience and introduce silent cinema to new audiences.

He began his career in 2012 as a percussionist with a silent film performance group featuring benshi narrator Kumiko Omori. In 2015, he made his debut as a solo piano accompanist at the Kobe Planet Film Archive.

His work includes a performance at the National Film Archive of Japan and the World Premiere of the newly restored version of The Hands of Orlac at the Kobe Discovery Film Festival in 2018.

He is also the founder and representative of Silent Film Organization Japan, through which he organizes screenings and promotes silent film culture in Japan.

Selected Experience

• More than 900 silent films accompanied

• Approximately 100–120 live performances annually

• Solo piano and piano/percussion accompaniment

• Performances with benshi narrators

• Performance at the National Film Archive of Japan

• World Premiere performance of The Hands of Orlac at the Kobe Discovery Film Festival in 2018

• Regular silent film screening series in Osaka and Kobe

• Founder and Representative, Silent Film Organization Japan

Contact

For performance inquiries, collaborations, and festival invitations, please feel free to get in touch.