Classically trained countertenor Seiko — recently announced as SUNY Oswego’s spring 2024 Artist in Residence to teach in the Music Department — will spend the semester developing an artistic showcase that highlights students’ diverse backgrounds and experiences through song, instrumentation, dance and visual elements.
The show “will help foster and highlight who we are, where we come from, and how we hope to contribute to the world,” Seiko said. He added that the performance will focus on encouraging a sense of community and belonging on campus as well as in the city of Oswego, and that he will foster a creative environment allowing students to “explore parts of themselves that maybe they hadn’t known existed.”
Hailing from Washington, D.C., Seiko has created work celebrated by the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, as well as Barry Manilow; Earth, Wind & Fire; and Denyce Graves. He has filmed Engelbert Humperdinck’s production of "Hansel and Gretel," playing the role of Sandman with Opera on Tap and Playground Opera. And recently, Seiko performed with the Eastman School of Music’s acclaimed early music ensemble, Collegium Musicum, in a production of Purcell’s "King Arthur" that will be distributed and syndicated throughout the greater New York City community as an immersive educational experience.
In Central New York, Seiko debuted Craig Johnson’s "Considering Matthew Shephard" under the direction of Ithaca College’s Choir and Janet Galvan. He also played the title role of Akhnaten in Ithaca College’s "Opera Workshop" scenes presentation, and portrayed a pre-recorded, offstage track in Ithaca College’s Main Stage production of Kander’s "Cabaret." He is excited to return to the region.
As an educator, Seiko’s experience includes singing in master classes with 10-time Grammy-award winning artists Take 6, Darryl Taylor (University of Irvine), Nicole Cabell (Eastman School of Music), Timothy Long (Eastman Opera Theatre) and Opera Noire (New York City). He has also been invited to sing in residence with acclaimed composer Libby Larsen of Ithaca College.
Seiko brings a cross-pollination of musical influences to his classes. His skill set extends beyond the concert and operatic stages to encompass Broadway show tunes, gospel, jazz, rock, early music and pioneering modern compositions. One of his passions is enhancing his students’ wellness and health through the power of music — and the courses he will teach at SUNY Oswego incorporate voice science, human anatomy, physiology and vocal pedagogy.
Students interested in studying with Seiko in the spring 2024 semester can register for MUS 240: Voice Class or MUS 475: Exploring Our Bodies as Living, Breathing Instruments. To learn more about Seiko, visit his website.