Sonya Belaya (she//they) is a first generation Russian-American pianist, vocalist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist. Based in New York, Belaya’s creative practice uses research of the immigrant experience, theatrical storytelling, improvisation, metaphysical imagery, rituals of domesticity, and Eastern European folkloric and Soviet bard protest musics to imagine futures of outernationalism.

Committed to multiplicity, she is a diverse music-maker invested in the development of intimate, meaningful collaborations. Conscious of her role within a broader community, Belaya centers her creative work on power-sharing through resource dissemination and storytelling.

Sonya’s awards include 2024 Civitella Ranieri Fellow, 2024 New Music USA Creator Fund,  2022 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award, 2021 American Composers Forum Create Award, the 2020-2021 Resident Artist & 2021-2022 Commissioned Artist at Roulette Intermedium, made possible by the Jerome Foundation. Her work has been additionally supported by Foundation for the Contemporary Arts.

Sonya is a member of the co-led trio ALAARA ( Grey McMurray on guitar,  Nicole Patrick on drums, Sonya Belaya piano/synths). The trio creates long form improvisations that prioritize patience, effortlessly traversing the space of jazz, experimental minimalism, and ambient music. In the lineage of loving friendship, the trio’s strength lies in the deepest listening, the vastness of their individual multiplicities, and an understanding that the present moment is the most precious one. Belaya has also collaborated with Amir ElSaffar, Half Waif, Babehoven, Tanner Porter, John Roberts,  Lee Tesche of Algiers, poet Ama Birch, Wild Up, and New Music Detroit. They were also a part of the original Broadway pit as part of the Sufjan Stevens’ “Illinoise” dance musical.

Belaya has extensive experience as an educator. They have been an artist-in-residence at University of Michigan Center For World Performance Studies, taught masterclasses at University of Michigan Department of Jazz, and previously taught at Adelphi University’s Department of Dance.  They are currently on faculty at The New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music and at The Dalton School. Sonya is a Yamaha Artist.