Thanks for visiting my website. My name is John C. Hughes, and I enjoy a multifaceted career as a professional conductor based in Chicago.

I am the Music Director of Chicago Master Singers and the Director of Choral Programs at the Green Lake Festival of Music in Wisconsin, where I conduct the annual Choral Institute and am the founding conductor of the Composer Residency. Additionally, I frequently serve as a guest conductor, clinician, and presenter.

Each season, I perform a wide variety of repertoire, including beloved choral-orchestral and unaccompanied works, as well as world premieres. As a strong advocate for living composers, I have commissioned Shawn Okpebholo, Dale Trumbore, Reena Esmail, and Elaine Hagenberg and premiered additional pieces by Tim Blickhan and Wayland Rogers. Since the Green Lake Composer Residency’s inception in 2018, I am honored to have collaborated with many of today’s most accomplished composers.

In addition to my busy conducting schedule, I enjoy writing and scholarship. My book, Letters to a Young Conductor: Thoughts on Music and Life, is available in print and as an ebook. I have authored peer-reviewed articles in the Choral Journal, The Choral Scholar, and The Diapason, written numerous reviews of choral music, books, and recordings, and created a modern edition of Leonhard Lechner’s 1593 Passion setting. I also hosted the podcast Choir Chat for several years.

Previously, I served as a college professor and department chair, church musician, and K–12 music teacher. I earned my undergraduate degree from Augustana College, M.M. from Northern Illinois University, and D.M.A. from the University of Iowa.

Thanks again for stopping by. Feel free to contact me—I’d love to hear from you!