Pro
Aska Matsumiya
Biography
ASKA is classically trained pianist, LA-based musician and composer. As a key figure in the Los Angeles music scene, she has collaborated with the likes of Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Nick Zinner (YeahYeahYeahs), Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros) and Money Mark. Aska was the co-founder / composer / arranger of LA Ladies Choir, a group of 30 women choir, whose first EP was produced by the legendary Jim Scott (Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones, Wilco, Sting Etc...). The LA ladies choir performed at numerous charity & music events working with the “Children of the Night” (non-profit organization for the rescue of children from child prostitution). In 2010, one of the songs from her first EP was featured as the theme song for the Spike Jonze short film “I’m Here” and won the award for Best Original Music at the AICP Awards. This was the turning point for her career as she realized that scoring films was her true passion. Aska started collaborating with filmmaker Crystal Moselle on commercial and short films in before contributing to Moselle’s Sundance award winning film “The Wolfpack,” which received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary in 2015. Later, she also composed music for “BLANKA”, a feature length film that received the Sorriso Diverso Award and the Lanterna Magica Award at the Venice Film Festival. In 2017, she worked on the 12th installment of Miu Miu’s Women’s Tales, the short film “That One Day” directed by Moselle, as well as her latest feature film “Skate Kitchen” which premiered at Sundance 2018 opening in theatres this fall. Recently, Aska composed additional music for Meredith Danluck’s feature film “State Like Sleep”, The American Master series “Words From a Bear” as well as a short film by Isabella Torre’s “Nymphs”, premiering at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Currently, Aska is working on Academy Award nominated director Amy Berg’s next documentary “Pantsuit Nation”. Aska knew from a young age that she was destined to make a life in music. Many years later, she still believes that it’s the purest form of expression, aside from love. While words have geographical limitations, nothing can limit music’s power to transform and communicate.