Miriama Young was born in Christchurch in 1975. She graduated with a BA in History and BMus (Hons) in Composition from Victoria University of Wellington. In 2000 she took up a Fulbright Graduate Award to pursue a Masters at New York University. She is currently a graduate student in composition at Princeton University, studying with Paul Lansky, Steven Mackey and Barbara White.

Miriama was twice awarded First Prize in the Victoria University Composers’ Competition for works fusing electroacoustic music with live materials: Caul for clarinet and tape (1997), and Like Two Balls of Liquid Silver Pedalling the Sky for baritone saxophone and tape (1998). Iron Tongues, written for the Strike percussion ensemble is featured on their recent CD release New Zealand Percussion Music.

Recent projects involve the creation of a radio documentary-based piece about the meatpacking district of New York City, entitled The Prime Cut, a commission for Wellington-based contemporary chamber ensemble Stroma, and a work for the Yesaroun' Duo.