Lydia Miriam Ainsworth is a Canadian composer, producer and singer based in Toronto. She has released four albums, the Juno-nominated ''Right From Real'', ''Darling of the Afterglow'', ''Phantom Forest'', and ''Sparkles & Debris''.

Early life and education

Ainsworth was born in Toronto to a singer-songwriter father and a

set designer Scenic design, also known as stage design or set design, is the creation of scenery for theatrical productions including plays and musicals. The term can also be applied to film and television productions, where it may be referred to as prod ...

mother. She began learning cello at age 10 and attended the

Etobicoke School of the Arts The Etobicoke School of the Arts (ESA) is a specialized public arts-academic high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located in Etobicoke, it has been housed in the former Royal York Collegiate Institute facility since 1983. Founded on Septembe ...

as a teenager. She completed a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in music composition at

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

and was named an Emerging Artist by the

Canada Council for the Arts The Canada Council for the Arts (), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It is Canada's public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study a ...

in 2008. She moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

to complete a

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in music composition on a grant at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

Career

Ainsworth began composing for student films while at McGill University, and in 2011 she composed the score for the film '' The Woods'' directed by Matthew Lessner. She began recording her first album, ''Right from Real'', in her New York apartment, but completed the album in Toronto. The album was released in September 2014 by Montreal-based independent label Arbutus Records; in 2015 it was a nominee for the

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

for the Electronic Album of the Year. In 2016, she was named by

CBC Music CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...

as one of "6 Canadian female producers you need to know." Ainsworth released a video, "Afterglow" in February, 2017, in advance of her second album, ''Darling of the Afterglow'', which was released in March that year. In March 2021, Ainsworth announced her fourth album, ''Sparkles & Debris'', which was released on May 21, 2021.

Discography

* 2014 - ''Right from Real'' * 2017 - ''Darling of the Afterglow''"Lydia Ainsworth gives weirdness a warm welcome"
''The Line of Best Fit'', Chris Taylor / 27 March 2017 * 2019 - ''Phantom Forest'' *2021 ''- Sparkles & Debris''

References

External links

Lydia Ainsworth's Website

Lydia Ainsworth on Arbutus Records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ainsworth, Lydia Art pop musicians Avant-garde cellists Canadian electronic musicians Canadian record producers Canadian experimental musicians Canadian cellists Women film score composers Living people McGill University School of Music alumni Singers from Toronto Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development alumni Canadian women in electronic music Women cellists Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Canadian women singers Canadian women record producers Arbutus Records artists 21st-century cellists