I Empower actors and Performers to acquire accents or dialects with embodiment and authenticity.
Meet Nikki
Nikki Zhao (she/her)
Nikki Zhao (B.Bus, B Aviation Management, MFA Voice) is a professional voice coach that uses actor training methods, both artistic and scientific approaches to help professional speakers, presenters and creatives to become more confident, effective and engaging communicators.
Her practice centres around preparing speakers for the particular demands of public speaking, through non-verbal communication, voice, phonetics and text. In her teaching she has demonstrated a considerably strong ability to work alongside professionals in collaborative situations and is comfortable in leading workshops alongside the philosophy, ethos and practice of a program, developing successful working relationships with participants, children, mature learners and professionals.
With a special interest in working with artists, healers, influencers, actors and educators and EAL speakers' voices, Nikki is a lecturer at the VCA and JMC, a performer and a presenter.
Based in Melbourne, Nikki works across Australia and beyond.
Creative Bio
Nikki is the host of the ABC Kids Soundwalks podcast Mandarin series, and has worked as a voice and dialect coach on productions including feature film Place To Be starring Taika Waititi and Ellen Burstyn; for Creative Learning Victoria: Abbotsford DNA Through Time; for NIDA: When Vampires Shop; for VCA: She Kills Monsters; The Government Inspector; The Other Shore; for Red Stitch: Caught; FLAKE; for CLOC: Come From Away; for CentreStage: Come From Away; for Griffin: Sex Magick; for SBS: Appetite.
Stage work: Shanghai Mimi at the Hawthorn Art Centre; for Melbourne University Chinese Musical Group: December Rains (dir: Bang Xiao), Mulan: The Original Musical (dir: Ching Ching Ho), What Binds Us (dir: Virginia Lin); For Crown: Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival; fundraiser event: Stage Fright.
Nikki attended the Lessac Body and Voice Intensives and gained her practitioner certification with the Lessac Training and Research Institute. Before the global pandemic, Nikki travelled to Singapore to teach performing arts, dance and acting students at LASALLE College of the Arts and Intercultural Theatre Institution (ITI), and observed classes at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and Chowk Productions. Nikki also worked alongside the Creative Victoria’s Creative Learning Partnerships grant recipients Ching Ching Ho and Abbotsford Primary School in 2022.
Preparing for an audition?
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In-person and remote options
Located in Melbourne, Nikki can work with you in person by appointment only (this will incur additional travel and/or studio hire fees).
Want to do this at the comfort of your own home? No worries – I’ve got you covered with tele-consultation and tele-training.
Not sure what a production voice coach does?
Download a copy of HOW TO USE A VOCAL COACH: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR DIRECTORS