Japanese trumpeter Ayaka Miura is the second trumpet of the Charlotte Symphony. She previously served as Associate Principal Trumpet of the Boise Philharmonic. Ayaka has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, including its 2025 Asia Tour under Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, with concerts in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Her orchestral experience also includes Zurich Opera, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, and Tokyo Sinfonietta. She is also a member of Contemporary by Creativity Gendai Souzou Tokyo.
In addition to her orchestral work, Ayaka has performed in solo and contemporary music settings. She appeared at the Gifu Mirai Music Festival alongside the late Toshi Ichiyanagi, Mayumi Miyata, and Yasuaki Itakura, performing Toru Takemitsu’s Paths and giving the world premiere of Satoshi Fukushima’s Crack for Trumpet and Computer, which was well received. She also performed with renowned French trumpeter Eric Aubier at Tokyo Opera City as a representative of the participants in his master class in Japan.
In 2026, Ayaka was named a finalist for Associate Principal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic and Principal Trumpet of the Phoenix Symphony. She has also been selected as a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and School, Spoleto Festival USA, the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Wind Orchestra Academy. Through these programs, she has participated in orchestral performances, chamber music, and intensive musical training with internationally recognized musicians.
Ayaka completed her Graduate Certificate in Trumpet Performance at the USC Thornton School of Music, where she studied with Thomas Hooten, Principal Trumpet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Jennifer Marotta. During her studies, she received the Outstanding Graduate Certificate Student Award, the Robert Marsteller Memorial Endowed Music Award, and the Winds and Percussion Departmental Award. Before studying in the United States, she studied at SHOBI College of Music in Tokyo, then continued at CRR de Rueil-Malmaison in France and the Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland.
Her international studies have allowed her to work with teachers and musicians from Japan, France, Switzerland, and the United States. She has developed her musical experience through orchestral performance, solo appearances, contemporary music projects, festivals, and international audition opportunities. Christopher Still, Second Trumpet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and founder of Honesty Pill Coaching, also mentored her during a key turning point in her career. Additional teachers include Frits Damrow, Laurent Tinguely, Eric Aubier, Kenichi Tsujimoto, and Kazuya Homma.