About Luke

​

 

Luke is a drummer and composer whose distinct voice can be heard in diverse contexts as a sideman and bandleader. He has garnered critical acclaim in both jazz and contemporary classical arenas - 2018 Dankworth Prize for Jazz Composition and 2017 Compass Composition Prize in association with BCMG - and he explores both of these influences in quartet project Surface Tension with Huw V Williams, Ralph Wyld, Kieran McLeod - debut album released in October 2021. Luke has performed as part of Hootini Brass Band, Rhythms of the City, Seven Steps Big Band, Duncan Fraser Septet and Sister Sally as well as gigs with the James Taylor Quartet and the London Mozart Players.

 

In 2017, Luke graduated from the University of Birmingham with a First in Music, having also spent a year abroad at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada. During this time, he specialised in jazz drumming and contemporary composition, holding the drum chair for both university big bands and becoming a busy temporary member of Saskatoon's jazz scene. Highlights of his final year include writing his award-winning chamber piece Surface Tension for the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, as well as managing and arranging for his own piano trio and the 2017 University of Birmingham Summer Festival Big Band.

 

In 2020, Luke completed his Masters in Jazz Performance at the Royal Academy of Music, generously supported by the Universal Music UK Sound Foundation, Wavendon Foundation, Rotary Club of St Albans, Kentish's Educational Foundation, Chizel Educational Trust, Hockerill Educational Foundation, and Split Infinitive Trust. In 2021, he completed the LRAM teaching qualification and is now a sought-after instrumental teacher and ensemble leader.

 

Most recently, Luke was awarded a grant from the Help Musicians Transmission Fund to develop his creative practice, seeking mentorship from master drummers Mark Sanders and Seb Rochford. Coming on the heels of his recent album release and launch gigs, Luke is making plans for future performances and releases with his band project Surface Tension, alongside his ongoing work as an esteemed sideman and educator.