Aya Nishina
にしな•あやの日本語の略歴はこちらをクリックして下さい
A native of Sendai, Japan, Aya Nishina is a composer and surround-sound artist based in NYC. Her love for children is the greatest inspiration in her creative process.
After internationally acclaimed pianist Steven Osborne gave one of her works a world premiere when she was fifteen, Aya's compositions have been commissioned and performed worldwide. She has collaborated with many prestigious organizations and venues including UNICEF, California Academy of Sciences, Canadian Opera Company, Electronic Music Foundation, UVphactory Spoleto Festival USA, VocalEssence to name a few.
Her works have received awards and recognition from the International Alliance for Women in Music, Essentially Choral Competition (American Composers Forum - VocalEssence) and Neil Rabaut Memorial Composition Award.
Since 2004, she has been an associate composer of "Muse-no-Yume", non-profit organization that provides musical education and support to children with special needs based in Sendai, Japan.
Aya’s teachers and mentors have included; John Zorn, Julia Wolfe, Akira Nishimura, Giampaolo Bracali, Nils Vigeland, John Boyle, Elaine Bbroad, Joel Chadabe and Shu Yashima.
She is currently a composer-in-residence at Electronic Music Foundation and is working on her debut album featuring female vocalists to be released on TZADIK Records. Together with her vocal ensemble, Aya will be performing at a concert series produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto for The Stone in April 2012.
WATER IS LIFE
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 and is installed as part of the permanent exhibition at the California Academy Of Sciences in Golden State Park, San Francisco.
AS A DEDICATED TEACHER
Aya has taught in both Japan and the United States, specializing in auditory development programs for musicians of all ages, 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.
the image above shows one of Aya Nishina's young piano students using elephant exercises to learn proper finger technique
With children, Aya uses fun games and colorful exercises loosely based on the Orff Schulwerk approach to music education.
the image above shows one of Aya Nishina's young piano students learning to match the keyboard to the notes on the staff
Her students find learning fun and easy thanks to her positive, supporting demeanor and her attention to detail.
the image above shows one of Aya Nishina's young piano students using what they've learned to learn to play a song
Get Started with BML to set up a lesson with Aya.
