Tomoya Aomori

Born in Tokyo and raised in New York since the age of 2, Tomoya Aomori grew up in a family of musicians and was exposed to classical music and jazz at a very young age, playing piano, percussion, double bass, and cello. He attended the Juilliard Pre-College program starting in the sixth grade, and later attended The Juilliard School, graduating with both BM and MM degrees, with a double major in percussion and double bass.

Aomori has performed and collaborated with numerous musicians and orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Ensemble, Sir Roland Hanna, Hans Zimmer, and Ali Stroker, among others. He has played concertos with the Juilliard Orchestra, Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, Children’s Orchestra Society, and New York Classical Players. Aomori has taught many workshops around the world, focusing on the benefits of creativity, improvisation, and spontaneity, to break the barriers between classical and jazz. He and his wife, Julia Kang, make up the cello ensemble AKDuo; Aomori enjoys composing works for the duo. He has been on the MAP faculty since 2016.