Aya Nishina
Aya Nishina (full name: Ayaka Nishina) is a New York-based composer of acoustic and electroacoustic music. Her love for life and mother nature is the greatest inspiration in her creative process.
A Native of Sendai City, Japan, Aya was born into a musical family. Her mother is a concert pianist and her grandfather a choir conductor. Beginning her formal piano lessons and ear training at the age of two, Aya started writing music for her friends and family by the age of five. As her musical curiosity continued to grow, her mother gave her opportunities to learn from some of Japan's most distinguished pianists, music theorists, auditory trainers and composers. After middle school, she decided to move to the United States to pursue her musical education at Interlochen Arts Academy, Michigan, and at the Manhattan School Of Music (graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor's Diploma in Music).
After internationally acclaimed pianist Steven Osborne gave one of her early works a world premiere when she was fifteen, Aya's compositions have been commissioned and performed worldwide. Aya has worked with prestigious venues and ensembles including UNICEF, California Academy of Sciences, Canadian Opera Company, EMF (Electronic Music Foundation), Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Spoleto Festival USA, VocalEssence, The Renaissance Society, Rosenstadt Choir, Roulette Intermedium, The Stone, UVPhactory Production, Thinc Design, Wine Studios Inc, Sacramento International Film Festival, International Cinematographers Guild, Hoboken International Film Festival.
AS A COMPOSER AND IMPROVISER
Aya has collaborated with some of the world's most inspired artists such as John Zorn, Cyro Baptista, Greg Osby, Ned Rothenberg, Lukas Ligeti, Thierry Gomar, Paolo Angeli, Marco Cappelli, conductors Richard Bradshaw and Richard Barrett, as well as mezzo-soprano Marie Ann Kowan, among many others.
Recently, Aya enjoyed making the soundtrack for "Water Is Life," a nature documentary about water directed by Alexandre Moors (Production: UVPhactory/Thinc Design). The film is presented over multiple screens to create a fully immersive 360 degree movie experience. It is installed as part of the permanent exhibition at the California Academy Of Sciences in Golden State Park, San Francisco. Aya is currently working on her debut album commissioned by Tzadik Records' Composers Series.
AS A DEDICATED TEACHER
Aya has taught in both Japan and the United States, specializing in auditory development programs for musicians, as well as orchestration, music theory, counterpoint and composition. Since 2004, she has also been an associate composer with Muse-no-Yume (Sendai City, Japan), an organization which provides musical education and support to children with special needs.
Aya has studied composition with Akira Nishimura, Julia Wolfe, Giampaolo Bracali, Nils Vigeland, John Boyle, Elaine Broad and Shu Yashima; conducting with maestros David Gilbert and John Stanley Ross; Piano with Ryoko Fukazawa, Sachio Yokoyama, Sachiko Koch-Nakamura, Yoshi Nagai, and her mother Atsuko Nishina. She has also received an auditory training from Machiko Muramatsu.
Get Started with BML to set up an introductory lesson with Aya.
