Ryo Nakajima was born in Chiba, Japan. He graduated from Kunitachi College of Music High School where he was taught by Norihiro Takiue and where he was awarded the Governor of Tokyo’s Prize. He graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts under Masataka Hirano, Nobuya Sugawa, Hiroshi Hara and Masato lkegami. He is now a student of Vincent David at CRR de Versailles. He won first prizes at the Japan Wind and Percussion Competition, the Yokohama International Music Competition, the K International Music Competition and the first Asian Saxophone Congress International Competition. He was a semi finalist at the fifth Adolph Sax International Competition, the International Saxophone Competition Josip Nochta, the Jean-Marie Londeix International Saxophone Competition and the finalist of the third International Saxophone Competition in Łódź. He has performed with the Tokyo Geldai Philharmonia, and the Tokyo New City Orchestra.