Photo by Ashley Gellman
Hailed for her "magnetic, wide-ranging tone" and her "rock solid technique" (Philadelphia Inquirer), violist Ayane Kozasa enjoys a career that spans a broad spectrum of musical personas. Winner of the Primrose International Viola Competition, her two additional awards at the competition defines her passion for music: the best chamber music and best commissioned work performances. Following the competition, she joined the Astral Artists roster, and became a grant recipient from the S&R Foundation, an organization recognizing and supporting young, aspiring artists of all mediums. Her international solo opportunities have been a platform to unearth seldom heard works and commission new pieces, an aspect of viola playing that she loves. Most recently, she commissioned a work by Brooklyn composer Paul Wiancko for viola and piano, which she premiered at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Evermay Chamber Series in Washington, D.C. with pianist Amy Yang.
Chamber music has also been a vital part of Ayane's musical career, and her interests have led her to appearances at numerous festivals including the Marlboro Music Festival, the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, the Olympic Music Festival, and the Ravinia Festival. She is a founding member of the Aizuri Quartet, the 2017-18 Quartet-in-Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, grand prize winner of the 2018 MPrize Chamber Arts Competition, and first prize winner of the 2017 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition. The quartet has proved to be a multi-faceted group, commissioning and touring works by world-renowned composers such as Caroline Shaw, Yevgeniy Sharlat, Paul Wiancko, Lembit Beecher, and Gabriella Smith, as well as pushing the boundaries of unique and thoughtful programming. Their debut CD “Blueprinting” was recently released on New Amsterdam Records, a record of works by the aformentioned composers, and nominated for a GRAMMY. Her passion for chamber music has also blossomed in the form of the viola/cello duo “Ayane & Paul,” a duo that is known for their creative programming and intimate connections with their audience. The duo recently played on singer Norah Jones’ latest album, “Pick Me Up Off the Floor.”
From 2012 to 2016, Ayane served as the principal violist of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. She is also a member of the IRIS Orchestra, and has played with notable ensembles such as the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, The Philadelphia Orchestra, East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, A Far Cry, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Most recently, much of her musical work has involved being a mentor to aspiring young musicians, including being guest faculty at the Green Lake Chamber Music Camp and a mentor at the Olympic Music Festival and Musikiwest Summer Festival.
Outside of music, she loves to perfect her pie baking skills, create fonts, go camping, and run into ocean waves.