Luke Gillespie (born April 16, 1957) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and classical pianist.

Early life and education

Born in Kyoto, Japan, Gillespie grew up in Osaka. He attended

Canadian Academy Canadian Academy (CA; カナディアン・アカデミー ''Kanadian Akademii''), founded in 1913, is an independent pre-K – grade 12 international school in Kobe, Japan. The day and boarding school consists of an elementary school, middle schoo ...

, an international school in Kobe, Japan. He lived in Ft. Worth, Texas, in 1st grade, and Memphis, TN, in 6th grade. Returning to the USA for college, Gillespie majored in Music Performance at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

, studying Jazz and Classical Piano, Music History and Comparative Arts and Literature. He studied classical piano with Yoshiko Sato, a professor at Osaka College of Music from age 8-18. He also studied both jazz (bachelor's and master's degrees with David Baker) and classical piano (master's and doctor's degrees with

Michel Block Michel Block (January 12, 1937 – March 4, 2003) was a Belgian-French pianist. Biography Born of French parents in Antwerp, Belgium, he moved with his parents to Mexico as child, where his grandfather had settled in 1870. Block studied piano i ...

and Leonard Hokanson, a student of Artur Schnabel) at Indiana University School of Music.

Professional career

Gillespie is an active performer of jazz and classical piano music. He also teaches at various jazz camps, and jazz festivals around the country. Gillespie has been the recipient of many prestigious awards such as best performance from the Indianapolis Star in 1993, the 1990 Copland Piano Concerto Competition winner at

, and the 1994 Indianapolis Jazz Festival Competition award. He has recorded with the Arts Center Jazz Collective, David Baker, Bruce Bransby, Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, James Campbell, Steve Davis (drums), Everett Greene, Sylvia McNair, Dan Perantoni, Eugene Rousseau, Dominic Spera, Wanda Stafford, and Tom Walsh (with whom he toured Europe in May 2002-03, Japan in May 2004-05, and China in May 2009). He has performed with

Jamey Aebersold Wilton Jameson "Jamey" Aebersold (born July 21, 1939) is an American publisher, educator, and jazz saxophonist. His Play-A-Long series of instructional books and CDs, using the chord-scale system, the first of which was released in 1967, are an ...

, Eric Alexander,

Ron Blake Ron Blake (born September 7, 1965) is an American saxophonist, band leader, composer, and music educator. Born in the Virgin Islands, he attended Northwestern University, and now lives in New York City. Blake began studying guitar at 8 and tur ...

, Benny Golson,

Wycliffe Gordon Wycliffe A. Gordon (born May 29, 1967) is an American jazz trombonist, arranger, composer, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. Gordon also sings and plays didgeridoo, trumpet, soprano trombone, tuba, and piano ...

Bunky Green Vernice "Bunky" Green (born April 23, 1935) is an American jazz alto saxophonist and educator. Biography Green was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he played the alto saxophone, mainly at a local club called "The Brass Rail". Green's fir ...

, Jimmy Heath, Steve Houghton, Ingrid Jensen, Kelley Johnson, Pat LaBarbera, David Liebman, James Moody, Ed Neumeister, Chris Potter, Rufus Reid, Arturo Sandoval, Jim Snidero, Rodney Whitaker, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and Pablo Ziegler.

Discography

*'''Footprints'' ( RIAX, 2003)

References

External links

Indiana University Faculty ProfileRIAX.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillespie, Luke Musicians from Indiana 1957 births Living people Criss Cross Jazz artists