Luke Blackburn (b. 1992) is an American composer and bassoonist. Blackburn’s work brings elements of the natural world into the concert space and takes concert music to the great outdoors and other non-traditional venues. Musically, Blackburn develops a story based on his own research, observations, and experiences with the natural world. Beyond his own music, Blackburn advocates for nature conservation as an artistic practice. Founded by Blackburn in 2019, Project EcoMusic is a collaborative that partners with arts organizations to demonstrate how they can impact the natural world through interdisciplinary collaboration and the adoption of innovative artistic business models. Project EcoMusic was developed to assist in paving the way towards immersive educational and artistic experiences, with a focus on developing a supportive and sustainable environmental platform. Blackburn is pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Composition and Theory at Brandeis University studying with Yu-Hui Chang, Erin Gee, and Eric Chasalow, where he also completed his M.F.A. in Music Composition and Theory with David Rakowski. He holds two B.M. degrees in Music Composition and Bassoon Performance from the University of Florida, studying with Paul Richards, James Paul Sain, and Paul Koonce (composition), as well as Shannon Lowe and Anthony Anurca (bassoon).

 

Luke Blackburn is a dynamic American composer and bassoonist who weaves the beauty and complexity of the natural world into his music. His compositions are deeply influenced by personal research, observations, and experiences in nature, crafting immersive sonic landscapes that bring the stories and tales of the outdoors into the concert hall.

 

In addition to his own work, Blackburn is a fervent advocate for bringing concert music to unconventional spaces. In 2024, he co-founded the BOC Annex Ensemble alongside Ken Yanagisawa and Jessica Young, in partnership with the Boston Opera Collaborative. This collective of 15 musicians is committed to performing opera and large-scale chamber works in unique venues, making high-quality music accessible to a broader community.

 

Blackburn's recent accolades include the 2024 American Academy of Arts and Letters Charles Ives Scholarship, ASCAP’s 2021 Morton Gould Young Composer Award, the Lyra Society’s 2021 Costello Competition for Composition, and Boston Musica Viva’s 2021 Write it Now commissioning initiative.

 

Currently, Blackburn serves as an Assistant Professor of Composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, while pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Composition and Theory at Brandeis University.