We are very grateful to our staff, Board of Directors, and volunteers for generously contributing their time and talents. Together, we are able to share extraordinary musical experiences with even more people as we work towards achieving the CMS vision.
Music Director
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John C. Hughes, D.M.A., is honored to serve as Music Director of Chicago Master Singers, a position he has held since 2020. He enjoys a multifaceted career as a professional conductor based in Chicago. In addition to CMS, he is the Director of Choral Programs at the Green Lake Festival of Music (GLFM) in Wisconsin, where he conducts the annual Choral Institute and is the founding conductor of the Composer Residency (est. 2018). Additionally, he frequently serves as a guest conductor, clinician, and presenter.
Each season, Hughes performs a wide variety of repertoire, including beloved choral-orchestral and unaccompanied works, as well as world premieres. As a strong advocate for living composers, he has commissioned Francis Lynch, Shawn Okpebholo, Dale Trumbore, Reena Esmail, and Elaine Hagenberg and has premiered additional pieces by Tim Blickhan and Wayland Rogers. Through GLFM's Composer Residency and CMS's NextGen initiative, he has collaborated with many of today’s most accomplished composers. In addition to his busy conducting schedule, he enjoys writing and scholarship. His book, Letters to a Young Conductor: Thoughts on Music and Life, is available on Apple Books. He has authored peer-reviewed articles in the Choral Journal, The Choral Scholar, and The Diapason, has written numerous reviews of choral music, books, and recordings, and has created a scholarly edition of Leonhard Lechner’s 1593 Passion setting. He also hosted the podcast Choir Chat for several years. Previously, Hughes served as a college professor and department chair, church musician, and K–12 music teacher. He earned his undergraduate degree from Augustana College, M.M. from Northern Illinois University, and D.M.A. from the University of Iowa. For more information, please visit his website. |
Rehearsal Pianist
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Lyudmila Lakisova graduated from the School of Music for Gifted Children, affiliated with the Belarusian State Conservatory of Music, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in 1988. She completed a Master’s degree in piano performance, pedagogy, and chamber music in 1993 and a Ph.D. in piano accompaniment in 1995, both from the Belarusian State Conservatory of Music in Minsk.
In 1989, she became a recital pianist and accompanist for the Belarusian State Philharmonic Chamber Choir and performed with the Belarusian State Symphony. Lyudmila has been a featured soloist and ensemble performer with many orchestras in the Chicago area, including the North Shore Chamber Orchestra, Wheaton Symphony, West Suburban Symphony, Camerata Chicago, and the Landolfi Piano Trio. In addition to her successful solo and chamber career, Lyudmila has become well known in Chicago music circles as a collaborative pianist, accompanist, and chamber coach. She has collaborated with conductors Drostan Hall and Alexander Platt, pianist Irina Lupines, singer Don Caasch, as well as violinists Yossif Ivanof, Olga Kaler, Julian Rachlin, and others. She is also a chamber music coach at Midwest Young Artists in Highwood, IL. She has been the rehearsal pianist for Chicago Master Singers since 2015. |
Managing Director
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Karen Commons is excited to celebrate how far CMS has come by becoming its first administrative staff member, and looks forward to seeing how far we can go together in pursuit of the CMS vision.
Karen has a degree in Physics and Mathematics from Northwestern University, is a pianist, and has sung in choral ensembles throughout her life, including her membership as a CMS soprano since 2011. After a couple of decades working as a property/casualty actuary in the insurance industry, she returned to her passion for sharing choral singing with as many people as possible and pursued a career change into arts administration. She became the CMS Managing Director in January 2025 and now has responsibilities for the operational, financial, development, and administrative work of the chorus, partnering closely with the Board of Directors and the numerous dedicated volunteers. She also assists Music Director John C. Hughes in strategizing and executing mission-aligned programs, including assessing the viability and financial requirements for both existing and new programs. |
Arts Management Intern
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CMS is thrilled to welcome Audrey Zhou as an Arts Management Intern during the 2025–2026 season, thanks to funding provided by the Illinois Arts Council's Youth Employment in the Arts initiative.
Audrey is a junior at Northwestern University studying Saxophone Performance and Economics. She has done work ranging from concert ushering for Bienen School of Music to marketing for Northwestern Career Advancement. She has social media accounts with over 70,000 followers and enjoys creating relatable content for musicians. Audrey is excited to bring her skills to CMS and make a difference in the organization. |
Board of Directors
Members of the CMS Board of Directors serve as ambassadors for the organization in the larger community, guide the organization in major policy decisions, and ensure the financial stability of the nearly 50-year-old nonprofit.
Interested in joining our Board of Directors? If you have a passion for music and share our commitment to creating a culture of inclusive, intergenerational ensemble singing, please email us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!
Interested in joining our Board of Directors? If you have a passion for music and share our commitment to creating a culture of inclusive, intergenerational ensemble singing, please email us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!
Charles Andersen, President
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Michelle Burke, Secretary
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John Salamone, Treasurer
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Rick Burdsall
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Sheila Duran
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Caryl Medsker
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Elisabeth Meyer
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Richard Olson
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Janet Raciti
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Dale Russell
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