Our Mission
The World Voice Ensemble Inc. is formed for the educational and charitable purposes of giving international students of the arts and professional international artists the opportunity to perform, with Americans, in professional quality theater in New York City.
The corporation's purpose will be achieved by producing known and original plays and musicals that will include roles open in casting to Americans, as well as Asian, Spanish, Black, and White international artists. The corporation will also educationally and charitably benefit these artists by providing free line pronunciation lessons, so that artists with heavy accents will receive the extra support they need to be understood on stage.
BOARD MEMBERS
Makie Hirakawa Armstrong was born in Kanagawa Japan and is the President of the World Voice Ensemble. She graduated as a voice major from the Tokyo College of Music, and has performed as an opera and musical theater singer with The Shiki Theatrical Company, The New National Theater of Tokyo, and The Fujiwara Opera Company. Some of her credits include The Phantom of the Opera Directed by Harold Prince (Shiki), Aida directed by Franco Zeffirelli, (New National Theater, Tokyo) and Ballet De L'Opera National de Paris's Japan Tour IX Symphonies de Beethoven, Maurice Bejart. Makie created the World Voice Ensemble to give international artists the opportunity to realize their dream of performing in America. She is a voice teacher, a script translator, a performer, a director, and after landing the role of Lady Thiang in The King & I at Weston Playhouse and the Arkansas Reparatory Theater, she became a proud member of actor's equity.
Hiroki Moriuchi was born in Wakayama, Japan where he graduated from the Osaka college of music as a voice major.
He has also studied with the Broadway Theater Workshop.
Credits include,Debbie Does Dallas, Butterflies are free, Baby, Les Misables, and The West. He belongs to the Harlem Japanese Gospel Choir where he has performed in Black Nativity now, and Mama I want to sing. He has also experienced singing with them on Harlem's local television station. Hiroki is currently, Production Manager, an actor and playwright for The World Voice Ensemble Inc.
Carissa Williams was born in the Bronx and graduated from Columbia University with a major in East Asian languages and cultures. She speaks Japanese and taught English for 1 year in Japan. Carissa also gained valuable experience working as an executive assistant in a not for profit organization for artists until she was laid off during the recession. Carissa was in a way roped into joining the World Voice Ensemble because her old High School friend Jerel knew her intelligence, her dramatic presence, and her wit would work well with the company. Carissa has helped us tackle the paperwork involved in becoming a not for profit and will continue working to help us write grants and such, maybe even make a few cameo appearances in future productions.
Aki Saijo is an active Jazz / R&B / Pop singer and song writer since 2005. She was raised in Tokyo, Japan. She has sung with several bands and performed at various events such as Brazil-Japan cultural exchange events, and many Music festivals. She moved to NY in September 2011 to attend a Jazz Vocal course for professional singers at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. She studied under renowned trombone player Earl McIntyre, Grammy nominated singer Renee Manning, and Jazz singer Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch. She participated as a lead vocalist in East of the Sun Band (led by jazz pianist Kuni Mikami) and performed at Cherry Blossoms Festival events such as the Brooklyn Sakura Matsuri (at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden), The Newark Sakura Matsuri / Bloom Fest (at Branch Brook Park) and Connecticut Sakura Matsuri (at Mill River Park), and led her own band performing at the Make Music New York event, and the Jozenji Street Jazz Festival, sponsored by Sendai City in Japan, as well. Plus, she has appeared in many TV commercials, and done voice-overs and BGM, and provided lyrics for many TV commercials. She is currently Production Manager of The World Voice Ensemble, Inc. and was in charge of Assistant Music Director for their Musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" (Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics by Tim Rice) in 2016.ck here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.