Tokuji performs on Show 461.

Tokuji Miyasaka (violin), 17, from Pullman, Washington, is a member of the Coleman Violin Studio, where he currently studies with Simon James. He is the winner of the of the 2021 National MTNA Junior Strings Competition and a first prize laureate at the 2021 Kocian International Violin Competition, where the Jury Chairman, Pavel Hula, attributed his success to his “precise virtuosity, lovely tone, [and a] beautiful variety of colors.” Tokuji was also awarded fourth prize at the 2022 Kloster Schöntal International Violin Competition and the special “Virtuoso” prize for his performance of Paganini’s Nel Cor Più Non Mi Sento, the only American to win this award in the competition’s 36-year history.

Tokuji was named one of the Seattle Symphony’s Young Artists in 2023, and has been awarded more than 20 other first prizes at competitions including the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival Concerto Competition, having been awarded the prestigious Festival Medal in 2022 and previously winning in 2019, the Seattle Philharmonic’s Don Bushell Concerto Competition, and the KING FM/Seattle Chamber Music Society Young Artists Award.

Tokuji has performed extensively across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. After making his solo orchestral debut at the age of eleven with the Spokane Symphony, Tokuji has since been featured as a soloist with several orchestras, including the Seattle Symphony. Upcoming performances include engagements with the Seattle Philharmonic, the Cascade Symphony, and the Portland Chamber Orchestra. Tokuji has made appearances on The Violin Channel, NPR Music Live Sessions National Song of the Day, Classical KING FM 98.1’s Northwest Focus Live, and From the Studio on KPBX 91.1 Spokane Public Radio.

In addition to his solo experience, Tokuji is an active chamber musician, and has taken part in Chamber Music Northwest’s Young Artist Institute, as well as the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Academy program as the first violinist of the Anserem Quintet, which was featured on Classical KING FM 98.1 as well as the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Academy Showcase concerts.

Peter was named Host of From the Top in January 2020.

Peter Dugan’s position is sponsored by Susan and Gerald Slavet.

Peter first appeared on From the Top Show 158, recorded in April 2007, at age 18.

Peter Dugan prizes versatility as the hallmark of today’s musician and advocates for a classical music culture that is inclusive and welcoming to all. That approach has manifested in a multifaceted and dynamic career as a pianist, composer, collaborator, and radio host.

A musician equally at home in classical, jazz, and pop idioms, he has appeared as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician across North America and around the world. His performance of the Ives Fourth Symphony with the San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas was described by the Los Angeles Times as “stunning” and by the San Francisco Chronicle as “fearlessly athletic” and was recorded for release; he repeated the Ives project in a series of four concerts for the Houston Symphony with Andrés Orozco-Estrada. He had previously collaborated with MTT at the New World Symphony and has made other orchestra appearances with the Kansas City Symphony, New Albany Symphony, Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Johnstown Symphony, and Annapolis Chamber Orchestra.

Peter is heard on radios nationwide weekly as host of NPR’s From the Top. His approach stems from his commitment to sharing classical music through his warm-hearted openness to young voices; and in addition to hosting the show, he leads inspiring collaborations, conversations, and performances with the young artists. Classical Sonoma observed: “Mr. Dugan’s seemingly inexhaustible energy, combined with a dedicated teacher’s heart and musical artistry, is inspiring to observe… That geniality and dynamism translates directly into his music making. One gets the feeling that he is reaching out for that magic, elusive connection. And he succeeds.”

He’s an active and passionate collaborator who has toured extensively with violinists Joshua Bell and Charles Yang, and vocalists John Brancy and Kara Dugan (his wife)—partnerships which have resulted in recording projects, documentaries, music videos, and a first-prize win at the Montreal Competition. He also regularly performs with other friends and artists who share a passion for expanding the world of classical music, from Jesse Colin Young to Renee Fleming to Paquito D’Rivera to Itzhak Perlman.

As a composer, Peter has performed his own works everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Joe’s Pub, and his arrangements have been released by Disney+. He is co-writing with his brother Leonardo Dugan a new piano concerto, set to debut in spring 2026, and also collaborates with his colleagues to create electrifying arrangements of pop music. Supportive of new music, he has worked with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble and presented several world premieres. Peter is also comfortable jamming and improvising on piano and melodica with the likes of bassist Victor Wooten, violinists Tessa Lark and Charles Yang, and actress Glenn Close.

In 2020, he joined acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell for At Home With Music, a national PBS broadcast and live album release on Sony Classical. Since then, he has continued his collaboration with Joshua, touring internationally with recitals at London’s Wigmore Hall, Taipei’s National Theater and Concert Hall, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In Fall 2024, the duo performs across the United States, South America, and Australia.

The Wall Street Journal described Peter’s collaboration with violinist and vocalist Charles Yang as a “classical-meets-rockstar duo.” Their creativity has resulted in a musical comedy show with violist and Tonight Show veteran Isabel Hagen.

Peter’s latest album with baritone John Brancy—The Journey Home: Live from the Kennedy Center—was released on Avie Records in 2021, along with an accompanying documentary film from WNET’s AllArts. They have given recitals together at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center, and together won first prize at the 2018 Montreal International Music Competition. Peter’s latest project with violinist Sean Lee was PaganiniXSchumann, a digital EP release that accompanied a live performance at Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center of all 24 Paganini Caprices with piano parts written by Robert Schumann.

In Peter’s performances with his wife, mezzo-soprano Kara Dugan, repertoire ranges from art song to American Songbook, to original songs and world premieres. The Dugans have appeared at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, WQXR’s Greene Space, and on PBS Great Performances’ Now Hear This.

As a founding creator of Operation Superpower, a superhero opera for children, Peter has traveled to dozens of schools in the greater New York area, performing for students and encouraging them to use their talents—their superpowers—for good. He is head of the Artist in Residence program at pianoSonoma and a founding faculty member of the Resonance and Soundboard Institutes at Honeywell Arts Academy.

Peter Dugan holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School, where he studied under Matti Raekallio. He resides in New York City and is a Yamaha Artist.