First Voice
Mission Statement
Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu
Founded by artistic directors Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu in 1995, First Voice’s mission is to create and develop the stories and music of people living between worlds. Critical to this mission is “personal experience” or “voice” as essential to authentic pan-world culture. First Voice creates, produces, and presents interdisciplinary work that interprets the pluralistic nature of the American experience from a unique Asian American cultural perspective.
Programs
First Voice was created to provide an organizational structure for the collaborations of Mark Izu and Brenda Wong Aoki, two prominent Asian American artists whose work since the 1970s has centered on creating contemporary American art by adapting non-Western theatrical, musical, and spoken word traditions.
First Voice’s creative work is drawn from a number of different influences including our history of social, political, and cultural activism in San Francisco’s Japantown and Chinatown; our relationship to the Hapa (mixed-race) community; our traditional training in Noh, Kyogen, and Gagaku; and our lifelong dedication to working with artists whose hearts connect deeply with ours.
First Voice continues to present our past work in repertory, at home in San Francisco and on tour in the U.S. and throughout the world. We have produced numerous spoken word and jazz recordings, and are at work on a publication imprint; our latest recording, Mermaid Meat, was released in 2005 in CD/book format and sold out its first printing.
Support for First Voice
First Voice is funded by foundations and individuals. See our list of funders and donors
Visit the First Voice Web site.
