Japanese American soprano and NC native Arisa Kusumi Sullivan has enjoyed an illustrious career as a self-proclaimed arts multihyphenate: professional opera singer, stage director, actor, model, voice teacher, and arts leader – most notably as founder, executive and artistic director of the Howey Mansion Music Series, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit music series in Florida.
She has enjoyed a 27-year career singing at opera houses and concert halls around the world, including at Chemnitz, Halle, Osnabrück, and Vadstena Operas, Verbier Festival, Marlboro Music Festival, and Villecroze Festival.
As an educator, she has served on the voice faculty at Rollins College for seven years, has given voice masterclasses at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, University of South Florida and Vienna Summer Music Festival, and is regularly invited to judge international voice competitions.
She served as both Central Florida Chapter President and Florida District Governor within the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). Her singing has been featured on international radio and TV stations, and most recently she appeared on PBS’ Local Voices to bring awareness to the Asian American experience, after the recent increase of racial hate crimes in America.
For her work in acting and modelling, she has appeared in multiple commercials and print ads, and on Home Shopping Network. In her free time, she produces a food show and blog on Instagram and YouTube, practices yoga, and enjoys spending time with her family.