Join us as we host the Sacramento Master Singers for a Free Concert!
About The Sacramento Master Singers
The Sacramento Master Singers (SMS) has been advancing the art of choral music in
Northern California and beyond since 1984. Our mission: to delight, challenge and inspire
audiences with area choral premieres, perform new arrangements of classic songs, offer
visually engaging performances, and support the education of youth. Our repertoire
shows an enormous variety of musical periods and styles thanks to the creative direction
of Dr. Ralph Edward Hughes.
Dr. Ralph Hughes
Dr. Ralph Edward Hughes, Conductor of the Sacramento Master Singers since 1986, is widely known for innovative and engaging programming. Under his leadership, SMS has become a professional-caliber chamber choir that has a unique ability to connect with its ever- growing audience on an emotional level.
Hughes has a Doctoral Degree in Conducting from the University of South Carolina and a
Master’s in Choral Conducting from CSUS. From 1990 until 2021, he taught choir, voice, and piano at American River College. Hughes is a member of the California Music Educators Association, the American Choral Director’s Association, and the International Federation for Choral Music. Dr. Hughes has a deep love of multicultural music and programming designed to stimulate wide interest, especially among young people. He participates regularly in the World Symposium on Choral Music, bringing new works from some of planet’s leading choral directors and composers home to Sacramento and introducing them to our Sacramento audiences.
Natsuki Fukasawa
Steinway Artist Natsuki Fukasawa has performed globally including in
Australia, Brazil, China, Israel, throughout Scandinavia and many U.S. A. cities including
New York’s Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall. She is a recipient of the Best Chamber
Music Recording of the Year from the Danish Music Awards. She has performed
as a concerto soloist touring Italy and in the U. S. A., and has been featured in CapRadio’s
Women’s History Month.
Scott Pool
Scott Pool serves as Academy Director of the Talis Music Festival & Academy
and as Associate Professor of Music at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. A
resident of south Texas, Scott is a frequent recitalist with appearances at numerous
festivals in addition to solo engagements. Recognized as a Moosmann Artist,
Scott’s performances have taken him throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia,
programming both standard repertoire and new compositions. As an avid
proponent of new music, Scott has played an active role in the commission and/or
premiere of over 50 new works by both established and emerging contemporary
composers. Published recordings as soloist can be heard on Alone: Unaccompanied
Music for Solo Bassoon (2020) and Vocalise (2013). More information about the activities
of Scott Pool can be found at scottpoolbassoonist.com.