  
Aya Hirano was born on October 8, 1987 in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Aya spent a few of her very early years of life in America before returning to Japan. She is a seiyū and J-pop singer who has had roles in several anime, visual novels, and TV commercials in Japan. 
At an early age she began to appear in commercials and got her first role as a seiyū in Tenshi no Shippo. From 2002-2003 she was a member of the short-lived girl band "Springs." From >
 
After graduating high school, she began seriously pursuing her seiyū and solo singing career. Her big break came in 2006, when she was cast as the voice of Haruhi Suzumiya, the title character of the anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The show's public success has greatly enhanced her popularity and career in Japan. Her CD single Bōken Desho containing the opening song of the show sold out in Japan the very day it was released. This success was followed by her voicing two lead characters in anime based on popular manga Reira in Nana and Misa in Death Note. Her popularity was confirmed at the first Seiyū Awards, where she won "Best Female Newcomer", for her role as Haruhi Suzumiya; the same role also won her a nomination as "Best Female Main Character". At the same awards, she was also nominated for "Best Female Supporting Character", and earned two nominations for "Best Single", one of which is a solo, Bōken Desho, and the other was a group nomination for the single Hare Hare Yukai.  
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