It all began with immense curiosity: as a child playing the violin, Hiyoli Togawa could not resist the temptation to secretly play her father's old, precious viola, despite a clear prohibition. In doing so, she found her voice for life.

She began her studies with Rainer Moog and continued with Antoine Tamestit, as well as in the Artemis Quartet's quartet class at the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth, while Hariolf Schlichtig became her most important mentor. Following early success in competitions such as the national "Jugend musiziert" competition, the International Viola Competition Markneukirchen, and the International Brahms Competition, she established herself as a versatile soloist and chamber musician.

Since her childhood, curiosity and openness have been the guiding principles of Hiyoli Togawa's life. Raised in the Rhineland with Japanese-Australian roots, she speaks her three native languages—German, Japanese, and English—fluently. Building bridges between people, cultures, and the arts is what drives this global citizen, both in sound and in words. In her concerts, Hiyoli Togawa communicates through her viola as well as through stage moderations. With formats she develops herself, the artist and trained competitive dancer creates new concert experiences by combining music with other art forms such as painting, video, literature, and dance. Her concert activities regularly take her to festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and the Heidelberger Frühling. As a soloist Hiyoli Togawa is presented with orchestras such as the Lahti Symphony Orchestra or the Bamberger Symphoniker. 

A particular focus of her work lies in contemporary music and close collaboration with composers such as Kalevi Aho. For her recording of the double concerto for viola and percussion ("Moonlight Concerto") dedicated to her and Alexej Gerassimez, she was awarded the ICMA Award in the "Contemporary Music" category in 2026. Her innovative concept albums on the BIS label have also attracted particular acclaim. During the first lockdown in 2020, she initiated the "Songs of Solitude" project, commissioning eleven solo viola works from renowned contemporaries such as Toshio Hosokawa, Tigran Mansurian, and John Powell to musically reflect on pandemic isolation. In her recent project "CHILDREN!", she continues this path, dedicating herself to the lived reality of children worldwide through 13 newly commissioned "childhood journeys." For her next project, "Clear Water"—a viola concerto focusing on the seven oceans of our planet and environmental protection—she will be collaborating with composer John Psathas, among others. Togawa's projects underline her dedication to engaging deeply with and reflecting upon societal issues through music.

From 2018 to 2022, Hiyoli Togawa had a teaching assignment for viola at the "Hochschule für Musik und Theater" in Munich.