Aya Nishina profile picture

Aya Nishina

Thank you, music.

About Me


A native of Sendai City, Japan, Aya (Ayaka Nishina) is a New York based composer of acoustic and electroacoustic music. Inspired by Mother Nature and wildlife, her music is often programmatic and surrealistic; the subjects are closely related to environmental beauty and issues. They are sacred lullabies for adults, as well as they are for children and her unborn infant.
Making her first professional appearance at the age of 13, Aya’s music have been commissioned and premiered internationally. She has worked with some of the world's most distinguished artists such as pianist Steven Osborne (Sulivan Sweetland Inc.,UK), composer/saxophonist John Zorn, Greg Osby, conductor Richard Bradshaw (Canadian Opera Company), the mezzo-soprano Marie Anne Kowan (COC), conductor Richard Barrett and venues such as Concertpeace (Concert dedicated to global peace), UNICEF, Canadian Opera Company, EMF (Electronic Music Foundation), Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, VocalEssence ensemble, Spoleto Festival USA, Roulette Intermedium, The Stone, UVPhactory Production, Wine Studios Inc, Pianist Assembly Japan, Rosenstadt Choir among others.
From a field of 128 entries representing 35 states, Aya (choral composition ‘Sleeping In Dew’) has recently been announced as one of the five winner composers selected for 2007 Essentially Choral presented by prestigious VocalEssence ensemble.
Aya’s recent projects include: her debut album to be released by Tzadik Record Company; Music for 5 voices and electronics (untitled) for Gretchen Parlato; music for a new feature film by an award-winning director Alexandre Moors from UVPhactory Production, and an on-going duet music project with Greg Osby.
As an improviser/pianist she has recently performed with artists such as Greg Osby, John Zorn, Ikue Mori, Ned Rothenberg, Matt Brewer and Shanir Blumenkranz among others.
Aya has been an associate composer of Muse no Yume, a corporate organization for disadvantaged children to be provided music education by professional artists (Sendai, Japan), since 2004.
Her instructors of music composition include; Akira Nishimura, Julia Wolfe, Giampaolo Bracali, Nils Vigeland, John Boyle, Elaine Broad and Shue Yashima.
Aya is a member of ASCAP and American Composers Forum.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 9/14/2006
Band Website: AYAKANISHINA.COM/
Band Members:

Animation by Aya's dear friend Eliza Fernand:

when an avocado and a pear fall in love with each other...

.. make
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MySpace Editor Rasheed Richmond
Influences:

........INFLUENCES AND INSPIRATIONS........

Silence, Ocean, enbryology, singing, Dancing, Moonlight, River, Wind, Grass, Insects, Flowers, Fruits, Wild animals, Hiking, Hot spring, Love for friends and family, the sounds I've heard in Matsushima-Kyoto-New Mexico-Michigan Lake, Ice, Sand, Salt, Kisses, Change of seasons, the sound that you hear when swimming, Forgiving, Accepting, cleansing, Colors, Distance, Christianity, Shintoism, Buddhism, Sufism, Chanting, Caressing, Sharing, Reflection, Children's imagination.

Anish Kapoor, Anna Mendieta, Geordia O'Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Gustav Klimt, and Eliza Fernand. Poetry and Tankas by; Rumi, Rilke, Mary Oliver, Szymborska, E.E.Cummings, Mark Strand, Kenji Miyazawa, Machi Tawara, Kotaro Takamura (chieko-sho) among many many others. Japanese Court Music + traditional paitings and prints, Japanese and Armenian lullabies, Russian folk songs.

Guillaume de Machaut, Carlo Gesualdo, George Philipp Telemann, Alessandro Sacarlatti, J.S.Bach, Johannes Brahms, Alfred Cortot, Gustav Mahler, Bela Bartok, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Anton Webern, Dmitri Shostakovich, Oliver Messiaen, Luciano Berio, Kaija Saariaho, Benard Woma, TASHI, Toru Takemitsu, Nono, Akira Nishimura, John Zorn, Fred Sherry, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Greg Osby, Bjork, my favorite bassist - composer Matt Brewer, my grand mother (tea master), Martin Scorsese, Akira Kurosawa, David Lynch and more to name...

Record Label: Tzadik Record Company
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

VOL.42 I love you, for whom you are

11 years ago, when English was still a language of mystery to my senses (it still is, in many ways..),I wrote a short lullaby at dusk by the lake in Michigan. My expressions were careful and fragile.B...
Posted by Aya Nishina on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:38:00 PST

VOL.41 Constant Conversation

'Constant ConversationWho is the luckiest in this whole orchestra? The reed.Its mouth touches your lips to learn music.All reeds, sugarcane especially, think onlyof this chance. They sway in the caneb...
Posted by Aya Nishina on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:11:00 PST

Vol.40 In Love with Life

On the night of January 22nd, I returned home from a tea party; dressed in red, white, and black;rested by the window; bathed myself in moonlight.Remembered the each faces of my friends and family; sa...
Posted by Aya Nishina on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:15:00 PST

VoL.39 Let the love be

Between two friends that truly love and care for each other, onlygood comes out from the space in between them.Because each of us all root in different times and places;because each of us all develop ...
Posted by Aya Nishina on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:17:00 PST

Happy Holidays

May your days be filled with happiness of care, smiles, and delicious food!Happy holidays!!-----------------------------i love you much(most beautiful darling)-by e.e.cummingsi love you much(most beau...
Posted by Aya Nishina on Sat, 22 Dec 2007 08:29:00 PST

VOL.38 We are animals, after all

since feeling is first-by e.e.cummingssince feeling is firstwho pays any attentionto the syntax of thingswill never wholly kiss you;wholly to be a foolwhile Spring is in the worldmy blood approves,and...
Posted by Aya Nishina on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:21:00 PST

VOL.37 Dear Touto

I remember coming back from an empty hospital room with you that night, you were holding my hand tightly and silently, trying to stand strong for me.You talked about when your grandmother passed away....
Posted by Aya Nishina on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:56:00 PST

VOL.36 Consistency, is ones true blessing

Recently, I've come to realize that..Whether giving, or being given, within one's self, or being shared between souls-Consistency, is one's true blessing-As steady and strong, as the earth's gravity.I...
Posted by Aya Nishina on Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:12:00 PST

VOL.35 He has kissed

I have knowna person,who's like a dream- understands the subterranean river beneath my skin; understands where it's coming from; hears where it's led to. believes in its strength of purity; be...
Posted by Aya Nishina on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:40:00 PST

VOL.34 Come rain or come shine, come snow

The winter has fully arrived in NYC.Seeing snowflakes cheerfully dancing as they fall onto my face makes me think ofpowder suger being spelled onto a deeply caramalized apple tart tatan:)I have been g...
Posted by Aya Nishina on Sun, 09 Dec 2007 11:29:00 PST