Luke Howard is an Australian composer and pianist. As one of the country’s foremost practitioners of contemporary classical music, his music captivates audiences worldwide. He grew up in Melbourne and has been a pianist since childhood, first studying classical piano and later going on to graduate in jazz performance at the Victorian College of the Arts. Inspired by artists such as Philip Glass and Arvo Pärt, his music masters the art of wordless storytelling across many forms. With solo, duo and trio albums, scores for film, theatre and ballet, and countless collaborations with artists, choreographers and musicians, Howard is in demand as both a composer and performer. ‘Absolutely heavenly’ is how his music is described by BBC Radio 6 broadcaster Mary Anne Hobbs.
Howard’s albums have thrice made the Australian Music Prize longlist. The 2019 film score The Sand That Ate The Sea is APRA/AGSC award-winning and ARIA-nominated. The Luke Howard Trio was commissioned by Back to Back Theatre to score The Shadow Whose Prey The Hunter Becomes the same year. He is signed to UK label Mercury KX.
Howard has collaborated extensively with dance, working with choreographer Juliano Nunes on pieces for the Atlanta Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet and Royal Ballet. His music has also accompanied works by Nederlands Dans Theater, the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet and been performed at Glastonbury Festival. The Grigoryan Brothers, Hera Hyesang Park, Jess Gillam and Voces8 have all commissioned compositions.
Howard has produced many albums for others, including acclaimed Australian pianist Nat Bartsch’s classical records. Recently, he orchestrated and co-produced an album with Numbulwar-based singer Ngulmiya Grant Nundhirribala.
With a long list of international performances that includes two sold out concerts at the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Howard has collaborated and performed with a diverse range of artists which includes Lana Del Rey, Lior, Jeff Mills, Nadje Noordhuis, Shards, and Megan Washington. In 2020 he released 28 transcriptions for solo piano, a book featuring his compositions and photography. His compositions are represented worldwide by Secretly Publishing and Faber Music.
In 2022 Howard released All of Us, inspired by Albert Camus’ The Plague, which was written and recorded during Melbourne’s long lockdown.
