Jay began to study music in Canada, where he was born in 1997. After moving to England in 2004 he became a chorister at Jesus College, Cambridge, and continued his education at the Junior Guildhall School of Music & Drama from 2011 to 2014 and with Aldeburgh Young Musicians from 2010 to 2015. Since then his work has been performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and by such artists as Esther Yoo, Julian Trevelyan and Vladimir Ashkenazy. He graduated from Pembroke College, Cambridge with a BA in Music in 2018. He is an Organ Exhibitioner at Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he studies with James McVinnie.  Jay was Composer in Residence at Cambridge Corn Exchange for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 Classical Series.