Darius “Seiko” Elmore is a countertenor from Washington, D.C. He is engaged in collaborative and independent practitioner voice science research incorporating human anatomy, physiology, vocal pedagogy and voice science into curriculum-based instruction— augmenting the intentional application of body wellness and body health through the power of music. He uses music and performance as an applied resource and navigational tool to support penetrating the fluidity of personal identity and the exploration of the most authentic self.

As a 21st century storyteller, he believes in the cross-pollination of musical influences spanning from his comfortability on the concert and operatic stage, singing presentations with origins connected to, but not limited to, Broadway show-tunes, gospel, jazz, rock, early music to pioneering modern compositions by living composers. Beyond musical performance and teaching, he is passionate about equal and equitable casting, highlighting historically excluded populous communities and compositional works, in addition to programming multi-disciplinary musical presentations. Seiko has been invited to sing in residence with composer, Libby Larsen, at Ithaca College; he has sung in masterclasses for artists, such as Darryl Taylor (University of Irvine), Nicole Cabell (Eastman School of Music), Timothy Long (Eastman Opera Theatre), Opera Noire (New York City) and 10-time Grammy Award Winning artists, Take 6. Seiko’s work has been celebrated by The 44th President of The United States, Barack Obama and The First Family, as well as, Barry Manilow, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Denyce Graves, under the direction of The Duke Ellington Show Choir. He has commissioned pieces by composer and gospel artist Aaron Crouch, as well as debuting Craig Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shephard under the direction of Ithaca College’s Choir and Dr. Janet Galvan. In the 2022-23 season he will perform with Eastman’s acclaimed early music ensemble, Collegium Musicum, in a production of Purcell’s, King Arthur. In the 2021-22 season Seiko filmed Humperdinck’s production of Hansel and Gretel playing the role of Sandman with Opera on Tap (New York) and Playground Opera which will be distributed and syndicated throughout the Greater New York City Community as an immersive educational experience. In the 2018-19 season, he sang the title role of Akhnaten in Ithaca College’s Opera Workshop scenes presentation and portrayed the pre-recorded offstage track of boy soprano in Ithaca College’s Main Stage production of Kander’s, Cabaret.

Presently, he maintains a private voice studio where he mainly teaches online; has selective in-person appointments throughout the year when applicable; and continues to offer digital and in-person intensives, masterclasses, and workshop series. During the 2022-23 season, he joined the voice faculty at The Hochstein School of Music where he worked with a spirited musical community and a roster of faculty teaching musical genres including, Classical, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, and Sacred Music. He sustains a close collaboration with Monroe Community College where he offers private instruction to students in their MUS 151 Performance & Applied Music course— in addition, to private instruction to students attending Eastman School of Music, George Mason University, Manhattan School of Music, and New York University; as well as, students engaged on Broadway, national and international tours. He looks forward to developing new programmatic, community engagement and outreach initiatives that will prepare students as 21st century artists with the objective of fostering a more individualized approach to applied instruction, personal advancement, and personal enjoyment.

An abridged roster of Seiko’s vocal mentors and teachers include Darrell Babidge, Ken Bozeman, Lisa Hopkins-Seegmiller, Matthew Alchen, and Manny Perez.