Ayda Akbal

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, yet growing up travelling to visit family across the world in Türkiye, Ayda Akbal was exposed to the idea of existing in more than one space, culture, and identity from a young age. Through her use of a ‘strong methodology grounded in research’ whilst also ‘prioritising intuitive creativity and improvisation’, she aids in the telling of stories through her music. With a background in composition, music technology, psychology, and artificial intelligence, she has worked professionally on a myriad of projects spanning the screen and stage.

In 2024, Ayda was contacted by Marvel to compose the soundtrack for The Official Marvel Podcast, making her the first Australian composer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her score was recorded remotely with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra. Akbal composed the score to the Turkish-Australian film KUDUZ, which had its premiere at iMAX in Melbourne. Ayda composer-assisted the feature film – The Surfer – starring Nicolas Cage, which had it’s premiere at Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, and further worked as the studio-assistant at Melbourne’s Allan Eatons for The Fabulous Four.

Through that work, she was nominated for both Emerging Screen Composer of The Year at the Australian Screen Music Awards, and Composer Rising Star Award at the International Music and Sound Awards.

She is immensely proud of the release of her artist album, Where Do I Belong? Here – in which she explores what it means to grow up first-generation Turkish-Australian. She is deeply moved by the response she’s had and connections she’s made since her release. She is immensely grateful to have received the 2023 Angus Gray Piano Performance Grant and Blackbird Protostars Grant to support the recording and mixing of her album Where Do I Belong? Here.

Ayda was awarded the Global Professional Development Award by the American Australian Association and APRA AMCOS to support an internship at score-production company – Joy Music House – under the mentorship of CEO & Founder Catherine Joy – in Los Angeles. She was also awarded the Emerging Artist Grant from the Ian Potter Cultural Trust to support her internship - where she currently works.