Instrument/Department: Guitar
Joined Hochstein faculty in: 2021
As a guitarist, teacher, and an arranger, Ken Luk actively performs in different solo and chamber music settings. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Ken studied with Dr. Nicholas Goluses and finished his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Eastman School of Music. Prior to his doctoral studies, Ken earned a Master of Art degree in Music Theory Pedagogy from Eastman.
As a cofounder of Rochester Classical Guitar, he has been organizing various events to promote classical guitar in the Greater Rochester Area since 2016. In February 2019, Ken cofounded the Rochester Mandolin Orchestra and organizes rehearsals and performances for mandolinists and guitarists of the Greater Rochester Area. Ken is also an avid arranger of the guitar and was a finalist in the Roland Dyens Arranging International Competition 2017.
As a classical guitarist, Ken frequently performs as a soloist, as well as with the Janus Guitar Duo and Trio Ghidorah. Apart from the classical guitar repertoire, Ken performs with Rosa Boemia, Forró Estrelas do Norte, Mosaic Foundation, and the Eastman Gamelan Ensemble, among others. Performance highlights include Experiencing Villa-Lobos Musical Festival, Live from Hochstein, Rochester Fringe Festival, The Great Blue Heron Festival, and Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance.
Ken has taught music theory at the Eastman School of Music and SUNY Fredonia. He currently teaches guitar and mandolin at Alfred University and SUNY Geneseo, and Balinese gamelan at the Eastman Community Music School and State University of New York at Fredonia.
More About Ken Luk
Hometown: Hong Kong
What inspires me: my students and my friends. They teach me new things all the time!
My favorite local restaurant: any Indian restaurants.