Ty Chiko, D.M.A.

About Ty

Originally from the Islands of The Bahamas, Ty Chiko has been an international performance artist, visual artist, entrepreneur, and disability advocate for over two decades. He has received recognition from the U.S. Embassy in The Bahamas, along with the Bahamas Independence Committee, and is listed as one of the country's Top 40 Under 40.

As a vocalist, Chiko appeared as a soloist with the Grant Wallace Band in The Magnificent Pretty Boy, a work commissioned by the Houston Grand Opera. He performed in Mahler’s Leider Eines Fahrenden Gesellen at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Gammage Auditorium. He has also taken the stage at The New Mexico Film Festival, Leonard Bernstein’s Centennial at The Academy for the Love of Learning, and the Adventures in the Arts National Organization (Bahamas). As a former member of the Bahamas National Youth Choir, he performed across the United States, U.K., Europe, and South Africa. In 2021, Chiko competed as a finalist in the renowned Lotte Lenya Competition through the Kurt Weill Foundation in New York City. He was also awarded first prizes in the Arizona State University Concerto Competition and Vocal Artistry Song Competition. He has made appearances and partnered with State Farm, National Public Radio, along with other notable podcasts and radio shows.

Chiko has spent much of his career leveraging the power of music and art as tools for advocacy and social change. For over seven years, he has volunteered at the Amputee Coalition of America Summer Camp. Chiko holds a Doctorate from Arizona State University, where he has served as Faculty Associate for the School of Music, and has served on the faculties of the University of New Mexico, and the New Mexico School for the Arts.

Learn more about Ty on his website at www.ty-chiko.com.

I encourage my students to be good humans before becoming good artists. Each student who enters my voice studio is a person first. This approach to teaching ensures that the studio is a safe and welcoming place for everyone.