When Aya was five years old, she was invited to her first experience of traditional Japanese tea ceremony prepared by her grandmother, certified Edosenke tea master Sosetsu Nishina. From then on, Aya began her weekly training of Sa-dou (“Way of tea”) when she was taught the precise procedures for the traditional practice of preparing matcha green tea for guests. It was in her grandmother’s tea room, a space/an environment specifically designed for the ritual, Aya took notice of the beauty of water. She became inspired by its varying sounds and forms, and the sacred role that it serves during the ritual; enabling the collaboration between nature and humankind for this delicate, ceremonial art of gifting. Water, for its beauty, and for the life it gives, has continued to inspire Aya and her artistic practice as a composer to date, an artistic practice which has also cultivated her dedication to find and live in a sustainable balance with this essential constituent of the earth for all known organisms. Today, Aya’s works for concert music and spatial sonic design are celebrated internationally, and have found companions with likely-minded musicians, visual artists, designers, curators, and audiences, who hope to bring more environmental as well as social harmony to our lives through their participations. Aya Nishina welcomes us to a warm and intimate conversation about water and its music.
Vienna Live with Simeon Morrow - Weekly interactive Show 