Masa Ishikawa

Originally from Fukushima, Japan, Masa Ishikawa grew up in a city called Aizu Wakamatsu. He came to the United States in 2003 to begin his formal musical training in Seattle, Washington. As a pianist, Masa has performed at various jazz festivals and concerts in Italy, China, Japan, and the United States. Masa enjoys interacting and cultivating meaningful relationships with listeners and other musicians through performing music. 

Masa is also passionate about crafting music with various instrumentations. In 2019, Masa released his first studio album titled Dialogue, which consists of ten original compositions written for vibraphone, piano/keyboards, acoustic bass/electric bass, and drums. In summer 2023, Masa released his 2nd original trio album title Montage as well as the 3rd original sextet album titled First Note. Several of his compositions have been published from UNC Jazz Press. 

In March 2021, Masa collaborated with Eien Hunter (taiko drums/shinobue) on his composition Haseru to commemorate Japan's 2011 tsunami and earthquake tragedy. He also premiered Suite for the Forgotten (jazz orchestra with strings) in 2015. The music is dedicated to people who are currently living in Fukushima under the uncertain health impact of the radiation exposure from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants meltdown in 2011.

In his free time, Masa enjoys learning languages, cooking, playing Shogi (Japanese chess), as well as taking pictures of various nature. 

Visit Masa Ishikawa's YouTube page

David Pope

Professor of Saxophone, David Pope has been on the faculty since 2000. He is the Distinguished Teacher of the College of Visual and Performing Arts for 2012-13. He holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with additional studies at the University of Miami.

David has extensively trained as a classical and a jazz saxophonist and is an active composer and author. He has penned the regular column “Creative Jazz Improvisation” for Saxophone Journal since 1995. In demand as a performer and clinician, he has appeared at the World Saxophone Congress, North American Saxophone Alliance, College Band Directors National Association, and the Virginia Music Educators Association. He has presented masterclasses and recitals at the Eastman School of Music, University of Southampton, California State University, Fresno, University of Northern Colorado, University of Northern Iowa, University of Massachusetts, and Bucknell University. He has also been a featured artist at the New England Saxophone Symposium.

The Pioneer Saxophone Quartet (with Lynn Klock, Angela Space, and George Weremchuk) has been in-residence at SUNY Oswego, James Madison University, the New England Saxophone Symposium, the Central Florida Sax Fest, and the University of Miami. They premiered new works at the World Saxophone Congress 2012, and the 2008 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference.

Widely recognized for his unique work with multiphonics, David has recorded a CD for Open Loop Records and two masterclass CDs for Saxophone Journal. His writings are available from Hal Leonard, Dorn Publications, and Ex Tempore. He has additional recordings on Albany Records and Dazzle Recordings

David Pope plays R. S. Berkeley “Virtuoso” saxophones and endorses Applied Microphone Technology.

Dr. Sam Suggs

An omnivorous musician, Sam Suggs was recently named New Artist of the Month by Musical America and earned the grand prize at the 2015 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition performing many of his own compositions.

As a collaborative bassist, he has performed at Chamber Music Northwest, Yellow Barn, Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, his jazz/fusion trio Triplepoint has toured in West Africa and Northern Europe, and his band Foundry was named a laureate winner in the inaugural M-Prize Competition. Suggs recently served as principal bass of the Oregon Bach Festival Berwick Academy for Historical Performance and earned honors in music theory and cognition from Northwestern University while working as the youngest principal bass of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

Currently Assistant Professor of Bass at James Madison University, Suggs received a Presser Foundation Award towards his doctoral studies at Yale University and, among many incredible mentors, he has worked with Don Palma, Peter Lloyd, Jeff Bradetich, DaXun Zhang, and Edgar Meyer.

Visit Professor Suggs' YouTube Channel

Karl Tietze