Aya Okimoto is an acclaimed musician and Founder & Executive Director of the World Wave Music Festival.
Aya has a deep passion for both the piano and violin, studying piano under the instruction of Steven Casano, classical violin with Ignace Jang, and jazz violin with Duane Padilla. In 2019, Aya entered her first piano competition, the Steinway Jr. Piano Competition, where she received 1st Prize. Aya has received multiple 1st Prize wins from the GCC (Best Chopin, Best Bach, Rising Talents of the World, and Artist of the Year). In August 2021 and 2022, she secured 1st Prize in the Osaka International Music Competition (Hawai’i Regional Round). Continuing her success, in 2023, she placed 1st in both piano and violin in the OIMC and HMTA Music Competition. Her most recent win was in the AVIMC, where she won 1st prize and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York in November 2023. Just recently, for her exemplary performance in the BTHVN competition, she was invited to perform at the Gala Concert in Vienna, Austria, in the Gläserner Saal of the Musikverein.
Aya believes music is a universal language as it can communicate one’s expressions across different languages and cultures, connecting people from all parts of the world. She has discovered that everyone has their own unique story that can be shared through the music they produce. Because of this, Aya aspired to create an accessible platform where everyone can showcase their unique musical talents and expressions. She established the World Wave Music Festival, a 501(c)(3) global non-profit organization that hosts an annual online music competition without an application fee for students across the world.
