BIO

After graduating high school, a time in which she already played many solo concerts, she went on to study at the Toho-Gakuen school of music in Tokyo, where she was taught by the world- renowned marimba player Keiko Abe.

This led up to a first prize in The contest of Marimba Spiritual in 2012, which was held in the memory of composer Minoru Miki.

In 2013 Aya won the First prize in the marimba competition at the Drum Festival in Poland (including the overall GrandPrix) and was a finalist of the South California International Marimba Competition (SCIMC).

She studied master program of percussion in Royal Conservatory of Ghent and graduated at the top from the classic music department in 2017.

She performed with some ensembles like ictus ensemble, Spectra ensemble Gent and Quixtet. Also play solo programs at many festivals like deBijlike in Ghent, Musica Impulscentrum voor Muziek in Neerpelt, deSingel in Antwerp(with ChampdAction), STUK, QO-2 in Brussels , Festival Vlaanderen in Kortlijk, BEAT IT! festival in Concertgebouw Brugge, HANDELSBEURS in Gent, STUK in Leuven and some more in Netherlands.

Currently based in Belgium, she is active in various fields of the contemporary music scene, including solo, ensemble, and theater. 

In 2024, she received funding from the Flemish government to produce two solo music theater pieces, "Karakuri" (Zonzo Compagnie) and "Mechanical Garden." She also composes and performs music for theater, and for the first time was invited as a composer for the dance theater piece "The Garden of Earthly Disquiet" (Needcompany), which is scheduled to premiere at the Royal Opera House of Flanders (KVS) in December in 2025.