His major teachers include Jacob Druckman, Stephen Albert, Gunther Schuller, and Isang Yun in composition, and Arthur Weisberg in conducting.
He conducts the New York-based contemporary chamber ensemble The Musical Elements, which he co-founded in 1977.
As a blogger, Asia contributes articles on music and culture to The Huffington Post.
In 2013, he gained notoriety after receiving international responses for an April 25 article entitled "Carter is Dead."
Asia is the 2010 recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters award (2010).