Yasuaki Fukuhara was born in Japan and received a Bachelor of Psychology degree at the Japanese University in 2009 before accepting a place to study percussion at The Royal Northern College of Music. Whilst at the RNCM he received a scholarship before graduating in 2014.

Yasuaki received the 1st prize in the Italy Percussion Competition (Vibraphone) in 2022. He is currently an instrument endorsee for Majestic Percussion.

In 2011 Yasuaki was the first Japanese player to join the Fairey Brass Band and five months later he was listed in the ‘Top five percussionists of 2011’ by the brass band website 4barsrest. He has been featured in a number of music magazines including an extensive interview in the internationally acclaimed brass band magazine The British Bandsman.

Yasuaki is interested in expanding the repertoire for solo percussion with brass band accompaniment and he gave the premiere performance of Rodney Newton’s percussion concerto ‘The Golden Apples of the Sun’ at the 2013 RNCM Festival of Brass. He joined the Leyland Band and continued to be featured as a soloist, including a performance at the 2013 Brass in Concert Contest.

Yasuaki released his debut solo album recorded with Leyland band in July 2014. It has been sold in several countries and received critical acclaim.

Yasuaki subsequently joined the world famous Black Dyke Band, becoming the first ever Japanese player in the band’s history.

Yasuaki trained for three years as a Buddhist priest after returning to Japan. Currently he is active as a percussionist and priest and has appeared on various television programmes and in magazines in Japan.

Yasuaki also takes a keen interest in composition and arrangement for brass band, and has arranged the ‘Vivace’ from Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No.2, published by BrookWright Music.