ABOUT

          Luke Mortensen is a saxophonist, composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. He grew up on the west side of Cleveland in a house where music was a constant of everyday life. While playing in his so-called family band at a young age, the value of music as a form of self expression and the ability for music to create a community were evident. This is the reason why he continued to play music throughout high school and decided to pursue music at the college level. 

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          While at Western Michigan University, Mortensen studied with Dr. Andrew Rathbun, Carlo DeRosa, and Dr. Scott Cowan. He explored jazz standards as well as modern standards in a variety of ensembles. He was a student leader of the Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, which had the fortune of working and performing with Arturo O'Farrill at the annual Jazz Masters Series concert. This ensemble also won recognition by Downbeat for Outstanding Performance of an Undergraduate Latin Jazz Group. Mortensen's hard work was also recognized with receiving the Presser Scholarship, an award given to one rising senior for proven academic and musical excellence.

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​​          Mortensen’s voice as a composer and arranger is also developing. Influences from many artists and styles including Kenny Garrett, Franz Schubert, Wayne Shorter, and Ennio Morricone come to one unique voice in the form of solo piano pieces, jazz tunes, and big band compositions and arrangements. His works have been performed in recitals, concerts on campus, and off campus performances. Through this music, he is trying to create an environment that allows audiences to feel emotions in the music.