Born in Kyoto, Yasuo Watani teaches harmonica at the Japanese Senzoku-Gakuen Music University and is one of the world’s leading chromatic harmonica soloists. After graduating from Doshisha University in Kyoto in 1984 with a degree in Economics, he studied the chromatic harmonica with Helmuth Herold at the Hohner-Konservatorium, Trossingen, Germany from 1984 to 1988, and Tommy Reilly. He was thereafter invited to stay on as a lecturer until 2002. He won first prize at both the International Harmonica Competition in The Netherlands (1988) and the 2nd World Harmonica Competition in Trossingen, Germany (1989). In Japan, he received the Muramatsu Award (1996), the Aoyama Music Award (1997) and in 1998 the Incentive Award of the 16th Kyoto Prefectural Cultural Prize. With an active performing career, Yasuo Watani has staged numerous solo concerts in many parts of the world including Europe, Asia, America, Argentina and Brazil. In addition, he has performed as a soloist with German and Japanese orchestras and the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa. His performances have been broadcast on radio and television in Germany and Japan.