Bringing Handel’s Messiah to Life in Japanese

We are excited to introduce the newly rebranded Japanese Messiah Project (JMP)! Formerly known as the Japanese Messiah choir, JMP continues its mission of bringing people together through the performance of Handel’s Messiah in Japanese. Now officially a 501(c)(3) non-profit, we look forward to expanding our reach and impact through community outreach, music education, and cultural exchange. We welcome singers of all ages and backgrounds to join us in preparing for our free Christmas concert, where we share a message of hope and love with the community through the timeless beauty of Messiah.

Meet the Team

  • Artistic Director / Conductor

    Ms. Suga has worked as a vocal coach/repetiture with Kentucky Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and the Boulder Opera Company.  

    She has worked under such conductors as Steven Crawford, Richard Buckley, Joseph Mechavich, and Kelly Kuo.  In 2011, she was appointed music director for Opera Iowa, and was a member of the music staff in Des Moines Metro Opera’s 2011 festival season. 

    She has also been on staff at festivals and summer programs such as Opera in the Ozarks, Land of Enchantment Opera Institute, and Des Moines Metro Opera. 

    Ms. Suga received her Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado at Boulder under the tutelage of Anne Epperson and Mutsumi Moteki, and a Bachelor’s degree in solo piano from the University of California, Los Angeles. Participation in summer festivals include the Music Academy of the West, Brevard Music Festival, the University of Miami School of Music at Salzburg.

    Ms Naoko is currently an Andover Educator Trainee, pursuing a training certificate in Body Mapping (http://www.bodymap.org)

    Ms. Suga specializes in working with pre-college and collegiate singers. From 2011-2014, she worked as a freelancer and a staff member at the University of Colorado Boulder where her responsibilities included playing for lessons, recitals, opera rehearsals, and coaching singers.

    After moving to Los Angeles, she has been involved in many Japanese community projects, including the American premier of Hideaki Hirai's opera, Kaguya Hime, at the Aratani Theater in Little Tokyo (2015).  In 2016 she was appointed as the Chorus Master for Orange County Friendship Choir's collaboration with the LA Doctor's Symphony's performance of Brahms' Deutsches Requiem.

    In addition to her private music studio in the Covina Valley and the Southbay area, she directs the LA Oratorio Chorus, Voice Lab (a women's chorus), and the South Bay Singers. 

    In 2019 and 2024, Ms. Suga served as the chorus master for Pacific Opera Project's bilingual production of Madama Butterfly at the Aratani Theatre.


  • Strings Director

  • Soprano Soloist

    Niko Murakami is a Japanese-American soprano. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music -Vocal Performance from California State University Long Beach and earned her Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at California State University Northridge (CSUN).

    Ms. Murakami’s credited roles in opera include Rose Maurrant in Street Scene, The Princess in

    L’enfant et les Sortiléges, and Sister Mathilde in Dialogues of the Carmelites. Her recent collaborations in music include performing as Toad in Pacific Opera Project’s production of Superflute and Bennie in Los Angeles Opera Connects production of Nathan Wang’s opera On Gold Mountain.

    Niko studies classical voice with Shigemi Matsumoto.


  • Alto Soloist

    Mezzo-soprano Alexandra Bass was born and raised in Southern California.

    She earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, while studying with Lorraine Manz.  Performance highlights at Oberlin include Mrs. Grose (The Turn of the Screw), Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro), as well as both Sorceress and Spirit (Dido and Aeneas).  She is also an alumna of Oberlin in Italy, the Taos Opera Institute, and SongFest’s Young Artist Program. 

    Upon graduating, Alexandra returned to Los Angeles where she has been seen in various productions including Carmen with Vox Visceralis, Faust with Valley Opera & Performing Arts, and The Mikado,Iolanta, and The Elixir of Love with Pacific Opera Project.  During the pandemic, Ms. Bass performed virtually in projects by Santa Monica College, as well as SongFest’s digital concert, ‘Songs of Unity and Hope’.  Alexandra has been a member of The Verdi Chorus since 2019 and has been a Walter Fox Singer with them since 2021. In 2022 she performed her role debut as Mercedes in Carmen with Landmark Opera, and spent the summer at the Toronto Summer Music Festival as an Art of Song Academy Fellow.  Last year she performed her role debut as Kate in Pacific Opera Project’s production of The Pirates of Penzance and was recently a featured soloist in The Verdi Chorus’ concert “This and My Heart: A Portrait of Emily Dickinson and Her Words Through Text and Song”. She recently finished singing her first season with the Opera Santa Barbara Chorus and is currently singing Chorus and covering Suzuki in Pacific Opera Project’s bilingual Madama Butterfly that is being sung in both Japanese and English.

    Alexandra is also a proud member of SAG-AFTRA.

    https://www.alexandrabassmezzo.com

  • Tenor Soloist

    Hart Chen, a tenor from China, is currently pursuing a degree in Vocal Performance at California State University, Fullerton, under the guidance of Dr. Kerry Jennings. He has been recognized as a Semi-Finalist in the CS Music Vocal Competition (University Classical Division) and earned third prize in the CSUF Music Association Competition.

    Hart's recent and upcoming performances include Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (2024/2025) and Nerone in L’incoronazione di Poppea (2023/2024) at Cal State Fullerton. He also performed as the Tenor Puppet in Fête galante with Lyric Opera of Orange County and as a chorus member in Pacific Opera Project's Madama Butterfly. Previous highlights include Daniel Buchanan in Street Scene at Cal State Fullerton and participation in L’Opera Petit: Mostly Mozart with Lyric Opera of Orange County.


  • Bass Soloist

    A native of Huntington Beach, California, Calvin Hsu studied classical voice at Fullerton College under Joel Balzun before continuing his training with Dr. Alexander Hahn at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. Calvin recently showcased his talent at the Hollywood Bowl during Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga Concert Experience and will soon appear with Opera Italia in their production of Mozart's Così Fan Tutte on October 19 and 20.

    When not performing, Calvin works as a Tearista at a teashop and enjoys cooking, video gaming, swimming, and snowboarding.

  • Partner Church

    We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Gardena Valley Baptist Church, which has been central to the Japanese Messiah Project’s journey. Not only does the church graciously provide us with a welcoming space for our rehearsals, but their pastor also joins us as an active participant in the chorus. His unique insights and reflections on Handel’s Messiahadd a rich spiritual layer to our work, deepening our understanding of the piece. This collaboration fosters a sense of community and shared purpose, enriching both our rehearsals and our performances. We’re honored to work together in bringing this timeless music to life.