Composer AYA NISHINA is a native of Sendai City, Japan, and has lived in New York City since 2001. Born with synesthe- sia, Aya draws her inspiration from diverse forms of visual art and her experiences in the natural world. She has collab- orated with artists including John Zorn, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Cyro Baptista, Greg Osby, Tony Grey, visual artist Shimpei Takeda, and has worked with organizations such as UNICEF, Canadian Opera Company, California Academy of Sciences, Electronic Music Foundation, and Spoleto USA to name a few. Her work has received recognition from Contemporanea 2011 Italy, the International Alliance for Women in Music, Essentially Choral (American Composers Forum-VocalEssence), and Neil Rabaut Composition Award among others. A member of ASCAP and American Composers Forum, Aya has enjoyed her collaboration with NPO Dream of Muse, non-profit organization that provides arts education to children with special needs in northeastern Japan, since 2004.