In 2009 at the age of sixteen Toby Hughes was invited to study at the combined universities of Lausanne, Fribourg and Sion with Professor Božo Paradžik. In his second year at university, he was awarded the ‘Future Talent’ Coombs Scholarship by the Duchess of Kent and in May 2011 was the winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s ‘Julius Isserlis Scholarship’ which enabled him to continue with his studies.

In the autumn of 2011 he moved to Berlin, where he studied with Matthew McDonald, principal bass of the Berlin philharmonic Orchestra. In 2012 Toby returned to the U.K. to continue his studies with Juří Hudec at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, graduating in 2015 from the International Artists Diploma course.

After his return to the U.K. Toby won numerous competitions and awards, in 2013 he won Chandos Symphony Orchestra's ‘Young Musician of the Year’, the string section of the 2014 Royal Over-Seas League Competition (the first double bassist ever to do so), in 2016 the Bromsgrove International Competition and in 2018 won the Tunbridge Wells International Young Concert Artists Competition. 

Toby has performed with major international orchestras both in Europe and the U.K. and his recital engagements have included appearances at Wigmore Hall, St-Martin-in-the-Fields, The Edinburgh Festival and at the Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of the Royal Over- Seas League final. Having been awarded support from The Tillett Trust, The Musicians' Company and The Phillip and Dorothy Green Artist Award, Toby will be performing at many venues across the U.K.