Youth Choir of Canada and was the first American in more than two decades to conduct the Swedish Radio Choir in 2002, 2007 and 2008. In May 2021, Sparks was one of 10 new members elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, alongside Marika Field, Katarina Karnéus, Jonas Knutsson, Sten Sandell, Đuro Živković, Keiko Abe, Giancarlo Andretta, Stefan Dohr, and Quincy Jones. The Academy said that "Sparks, more than any other foreign choir conductor of his generation, has been an ambassador for Swedish and Nordic choral music," and described his dissertation The Swedish Choral Miracle'' as the "standard work for the knowledge of Swedish music in English-speaking areas." Personal life Sparks is married to the former Kathryn Wold, an artist who formerly directed the gallery at Pacific Lutheran University. Richard Nance composed "Set Me as a Seal," based on the Song of Songs, for their 1996 wedding. References 1950 births American male conductors (music) Living people University of North Texas College of Music faculty Pacific Lutheran University faculty 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American male musicians