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Ayako Pederson-Takeda (b. 2000) is a composer-cellist-educator based in East Lansing, MI. She is currently pursuing two Master of Music degrees in Composition and in Theory at Michigan State University, where is a Graduate Teaching Assistant. She holds two Bachelor of Music degrees in Composition and in Education from the University of Georgia.
As a composer...
As a composer...
Ayako's music draws on communication through stories. Her musical language includes singable, lyrical melodies and rich, lush harmonies to create a soundscape that is tonally colorful. She draws on her influences of contemporary classical, folk, soft rock, and singer-songwriter genres to create rhythmic grooves that fade in and out of stability and often juxtapose a smooth melody. She enjoys incorporating her own written text and poetry into her music. Ayako is largely inspired by words and photographs, and she often sees inspiration for music in her everyday life.
Ayako is a rising composer and is frequently collaborating with other rising musicians. At Michigan State University, Ayako was awarded the 1st prize in composition in the 2024 Wagner Chamber Music Competition, where she composed a piece for Proteus Percussion, the 1st prize chamber music group from the competition. At the University of Georgia, Ayako won the 2020-2021 UGA Large Ensemble Composer Residency with the Hodgson Wind Ensemble, which extended into 2022 due to Covid-19.
Other groups Ayako has collaborated with include Bent Frequency (Charlotte New Music Festival, 2021), SpacePants, the Flute Intensive of North Georgia, Transient Canvas, the Athens Hip Hop Harmonic, Honk and Bonk, the KAIA String Quartet, the Phlox Quartet, and the Tuba Bach Festival. She has an upcoming collaboration with loadbang at the 2025 Longy Divergent Studio.
Ayako has been commissioned by saxophonists Jacob Nance, Julien Berger, Michael Matthews, and Dr. Stephen Fischer; baritone Ryan Eck; pianist Zaira Castillo; percussionist Noah Mallett; and trumpeter Austin Cruz, among others. Her upcoming commissions include working with saxophonist Michael Keeler; percussionist Cadence Miller; tubist Chris McLaughlin; and trumpeter Jon-Michael Taylor. Ayako enjoys working collaboratively with performers to create a piece that is unique to them, featuring their musical ideas and extramusical stories. She prioritizes forming a friendship and community in these collaborations, and she enjoys knowing her collaborators as musicians and as people.
Ayako has studied composition with Dr. Ricardo Lorenz and Dr. Emily Koh. She enjoys working with both individuals and groups and welcomes commissions at this time. (Updated April 2025)
As an educator...
As an educator...
Ayako has extensive teaching experience as a private instructor, a group instructor, and a classroom instructor. She is currently in her second year as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at MSU. She has taught MUS 180/E (first semester music theory), MUS 182/MUS 183 (semesters 1/2 aural skills), and MUS 187/188 (fundamentals, first semester music theory in a redesigned course). In MUS 180/E and MUS 187/188, she assisted in large lecture classes three times a week as well as holding a weekly lab. In MUS 182/183, she led aural skills classes twice a week.
Ayako worked as the Cello Instructor at Oxford College of Emory University for two years. She worked with first and second year non-music major cellists to continue developing technical and musical skills. She also coached string chamber music groups and evaluated string and piano juries.
Ayako worked as a Student Teacher at the UGA String Project for four years. In String Project, she worked with 3rd-5th graders in Clarke County and taught group music lessons on the orchestral string instruments. She designed lessons exploring general music concepts as well as string-specific lessons. In the 2020-2021 academic year, Ayako taught her String Project classes completely over Zoom.
Ayako completed her student teaching in 2022. She worked in the general music elementary classroom, where she taught musical concepts ranging from rhythm, notation, singing, handheld percussion instruments, folk dances, Orff instruments, and ukulele. Ayako holds a Georgia Teaching Certificate for PK-12 music from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. (Updated April 2025)
As a cellist...
As a cellist...
Ayako is an active cellist and enjoys playing with other musicians in a variety of chamber music settings. She specializes in contemporary cello performance and can often be found either premiering pieces or performing contemporary chamber literature at Michigan State University. Continuing cello performing is very important to Ayako because of her prior experience with performance injury at the University of Georgia. She has since recovered from her performance injury and enjoys sharing her story with others to spread awareness around safe practice strategies.
Ayako has been a member of various university orchestras, such as the MSU Concert Orchestra (principal), the UGA Symphony Orchestra (co-principal), the UGA Opera Orchestra, the UGA British String Orchestra, and the UGA Contemporary Chamber Ensemble. Ayako has studied cello under Dr. David Starkweather and Dr. Martin Gueorguiev. (Updated April 2025)
CV
CV
Updated April 2025
CV.pdfPage updated
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