Aja has been playing the violin since she was four years old. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Minnesota in 2011 under the tutelage of Mark Bjork, and her Master of Music from Louisiana State University in 2013 studying with Espen Lilleslatten. Since then she has performed with many regional orchestras and currently serves as principal second violin with the Buffalo Community Orchestra. Her orchestral experiences have given her the opportunity to share the stage with performers like Leila Josefowicz, Audra McDonald, and Gil Shaham. Aja is an Artist member of Thursday Musical and serves as Vice President of the Artist Series.
In an effort to make classical music more fun and approachable, Aja started a podcast called Pour Me A Mozart. The show combines her bartending background with her passion for sharing classical music. Pour Me A Mozart is available wherever you find podcasts.
Orchestral playing is the focus of her career but Aja has also performed with 2 Cellos, Foreigner, Harry Connick, Jr., Kygo, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and the Latin jazz group Charanga Tropical. In June 2015 she traveled to Havana, Cuba with the group to become the first band from the United States to participate in the International Danzon Festival. If she is not making music you can find Aja with her two cats, Dexter and Cindy Lou Who, cooking vegetarian and vegan meals, mixing craft cocktails, and attempting to keep her plants alive.