Composer Features: Cole Reyes and Ayumi Okada

In honor of our 20th anniversary commissions, we feature composer Cole Reyes and Ayumi Okada.

Cole Reyes

Cole Reyes (b. 1998) is a composer, educator, and arts administrator whose creative exploration delves into the intersection of individual human experiences and the broader world.

Cole has collaborated with artists such as JACK Quartet, the Rhythm Method Quartet, Bergamot Quartet, BlackBox Ensemble, Del Sol Quartet, Transient Canvas, Hypercube, and Unheard-of//Ensemble among others. Recent commissions include those from ARTZenter and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, the National Orchestral Institute, Juventas New Music Ensemble, Six Degrees Singers, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., the Victory Players, and a consortium for percussion led by Luciano Medina.

Ayumi Okada

A native of Kyoto, Japan, Ayumi Okada is a New York-based composer, pianist, and educator.

Ayumi is a recipient of the 2019 BMI Jerry Harrington Awards For Outstanding Creative Achievement in Musical Theatre. For her work on a new musical, The Uncivil Ones, she and her collaborator were honored with a Special Mention at the 2019 Women in the Arts & Media Coalition Collaboration Awards. Ayumi is a Mannes Bohuslav Martinů Composition Award winner and a Goberman Prize recipient.

Check out Ayumi Okada and Cole Reyes at ayumiokada.com and colereyesmusic.com

Ayumi’s piece “Rebirth of the Sun” and Cole’s piece “Steel and Stone” have both been commissioned by Juventas in honor of the ensemble’s 20th anniversary.