Ming Luke – Conductor

With the “energy, creativity and charisma not seen since Leonard Bernstein” and “vibrant,” “mind-blowing,” and “spectacular” conducting, Ming Luke is a versatile conductor who has excited audiences around the world.  Highlights include conducting the Bolshoi Orchestra in Moscow, performances of Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella at the Kennedy Center, his English debut at Sadler’s Wells with Birmingham Royal, conducting Dvorak’s Requiem in Dvorak Hall in Prague, recording scores for a Coppola film, and over a hundred performances at the San Francisco War Memorial with San Francisco Ballet.  Luke has soloed as a pianist with Pittsburgh Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, and San Francisco Ballet, and currently serves as Music Director for the Las Cruces Symphony, Merced Symphony and Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra; Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Nashville Ballet, Associate Conductor for the Berkeley Symphony; and Principal Guest Conductor for the San Francisco Ballet.  Long time critic Allan Ulrich of the San Francisco Chronicle said, “Ming Luke delivered the best live theater performance I’ve ever heard of [Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet]” and Luke’s War Requiem was named best choral performance of 2016 in the San Francisco Bay Area.  

Passionate about collaboration with dance companies and deepening the impact of movement to live music, Luke has guested with Boston Ballet, New York City Ballet Orchestra, Nashville Symphony/Ballet, San Diego Ballet and others and conducted l’Orchestre Prométhée in Paris as part of San Francisco Ballet’s residency with Les Etés de la Danse. Famed dancer Natalia Makarova stated, “Ming has a mixture of pure musicality and a sensitivity to needs of the dancers, which are such rare qualities.”

Luke has been recognized nationally for his work with music education and has written, arranged, and performed over 150 education concerts with Berkeley Symphony, Houston Symphony, San Francisco Opera, Sacramento Philharmonic and others. An exciting pops conductor, Luke has created and conducted a variety of pops concerts in many venues, from baseball stadiums, to picnics in the park with over 4,000 people in attendance, traditional concert halls and recording for Major League Baseball.

Ming Luke holds a Master of Fine Arts in Conducting from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Piano Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University.

Read what the press has to say here.

Ming Luke offers several programs geared towards children and families.  All of the performances that he has developed adhere to state and national curriculum standards in music.  To bring one of the example concerts below to your orchestra, or to collaborate with Ming on a new program, please contact him.

What is American Music?
America is the great melting pot, but what does that mean for the American Symphony and classical music? Explore how all the various cultures that make up what it means to be American come together in music to make our distinctly American musical sounds. With favorite works from Bernstein, Copland, Gershwin and more, this educational and fun concert will show you the crossing of musical styles that created today’s American music.

Repertoire:
American In Paris by Gershwin
West Side Story (arr. Mason) by Bernstein
Hoedown from Rodeo by Copland
Washington Post March by Sousa
Maple Leaf Rag (arr. for orch) by Joplin
Oh When the Saints Go Marchin’ In (arr. in Dixie style)

Target audience: upper elementary

Who Messed Up My Orchestra?
Famous maestro Rusty van Beethoven, descendant of Ludwig van Beethoven, has come to perform his great ancestor’s Fifth Symphony. But something is wrong – the orchestra members are all jumbled up! Learn about the different sections of the orchestra in this hilarious and educational show as Rusty tries to figure out how to rearrange the orchestra so that he can perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

Repertoire:
Beethoven Symphony No. 5 first mvt
Tchaikovsky Symphony third mvt
Mozart Divertimento K136 first mvt
William Tell Overture by Rossini
Overture to Die Fledermaus by Strauss II

Target audience – lower elementary

I’ve Got Rhythm, No Wait I Don’t!
Famous soprano Carrie Hennessey will now sing Gershwin’s famous song I’ve Got Rhythm. But something is wrong–she’s lost her sense of rhythm! Join us in this hilarious exploration of the difference between tempo and rhythm as Carrie and the orchestra try to regain her sense of timing again. Students and families will explore all sorts of famous rhythms and tempos through the repertoire of Bizet, Marquez, Haydn and more!

Repertoire:
Bizet – Danse Boheme, Habanera, and Les Toreador from Carmen
Haydn Symphony 94 2nd mvt.
Marquez – Danzon No. 2
Holst – Dargasson from St. Paul’s Suite

Target audience – families (all ages)

Powerful Percussion!
Boom! Crash! Bang! There are dozens of different types of percussion instruments that are used in orchestras – this concert includes everything… and the kitchen sink! Anything you hit, shake or scrape can become a percussion instrument – explore the wacky history of percussion instruments. Hear when Beethoven had a Turkish Army walk through his Ninth Symphony, the resounding power of the timpani in the finale of the Dance Bachannale, and, who knows, maybe you’ll join us on stage to play for Mozart’s Toy Symphony!

Includes excerpts from:
1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky
Dance Bacchanale by Saint-Saëns
Dance Macabre by Saint-Saëns
Typewriter by Anderson
Ruins of Athens by Beethoven
Beethoven Symphony 9
Toy Symphony by Haydn
Cucina Bella by Crockarell

Target audience – families (all ages)

SEPTEMBER 2023

Las Cruces Symphony
September 9, 2023
Season Opening Gala
For more information click here.

Nashville Ballet
September 22, 23, 24, 2023
Firebird
For more information click here.

Las Cruces Symphony
September 30, 2023
Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet
For more information click here.

OCTOBER 2023

Las Cruces Symphony
October 1, 2023
Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet
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San Francisco Symphony
October 6, 7, 2023
Asst. Conductor
For more information click here.

Nashville Ballet Tour
October 21, 22, 2023
Firebird – Tour to Charleston, SC
For more information click here.

Las Cruces Symphony
October 28, 29, 2023
Dia de los Muertos
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NOVEMBER 2023

San Francisco Symphony
November 2, 3, 4, 2023
Asst. Conductor
For more information click here.

Festival Napa Valley
November 8, 2023
California Festival
World Premiere by Yang Bao
For more information click here.

Berkeley Symphony
Dates TBD
Meet the Symphony Education Concerts

DECEMBER 2023

San Francisco Symphony
December 5, 6, 2023
Cirque Nutcracker
For more information click here.

Las Cruces Symphony
December 2, 3, 2023
The Messiah
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Nashville Ballet
December 8-24, 2023
Nutcracker
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San Francisco Ballet
Dates TBD
Nutcracker
For more information click here.

JANUARY 2024

Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra
January 5, 6, 7, 2024
Tippett A Child of Our Time
For more information click here.

FEBRUARY 2024

Las Cruces Symphony
February 10, 11, 2024
A Night at the Movies
For more information click here.

Berkeley Symphony
I’m a Performer Education Concerts
Dates TBD

Sacramento Ballet
February 24, 25, 26, 28, 2024
Cinderella
For more information click here.

MARCH 2024

Merced Symphony
March 15, 20, 21, 2024
Education Concerts
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APRIL 2024

Las Cruces Symphony
April 13, 14, 2024
Debussy’s La Mer
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Nashville Ballet
April 20, 21, 2024
Romeo and Juliet
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MAY 2024

Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera
May 11, 2024
Don Giovanni
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JUNE 2024

San Francisco Symphony
June 13, 14, 15, 2024
Asst. Conductor
For more information click here.

Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra
June 7, 8, 9, 2024
Durufle Requiem
For more information click here.

JULY 2024

Festival Napa Valley
July 1-22, 2024
For more information click here.