Kaya Smith is nine years old, and was born in Japan, where she started taking piano lessons at age six and developed her interest in music. Shortly after, she moved to Hawaii, where she continued her lessons under the tutelage of Ms. Akiko Sanai. It was during these lessons, which Kaya truly began to find her true enjoyment in playing piano. Kaya has now been playing for nearly three years and continues to nurture her love of music. Kaya also continues to find inspiration from many pianists however, her favorite is Tsujii Nobuyuki; who is a blind pianist and composer from Tokyo, Japan. It was this very inspiration, that motivated Kaya to perform Bach Prelude in F Major, BWV 927 blindfolded at the Iolani School Talent Show as a tribute to his talents.
Some of her accomplishments include:
- Her first recital was in April of 2016 and she has performed in multiple recitals.
- Received 1st Class Honors form the Royal Conservatory of Music
- Competed honorably in the 2017 Hawaii Music Teachers Association (HMTA) Junior Artist Division level one.
- Opened for Akiko Sanai's "Tribute to Mozart" at the UH Manoa Concert Hall.
Besides here enjoyment of piano, she also enjoys swimming, paddle boarding, playing ukulele and just being a typical silly nine year old kid.
