About

Luke Christopher Baron, age 19, is a composer and pianist currently attending the Juilliard School for composition. There he studies with Professor Valerie Coleman.

Recently, Luke was commissioned by Carol Wincenc, becoming the inaugural composer of the MXE 35th Anniversary commissioning initiative, to create a new work for Sextet. Luke had two new works premiered this year at the National Flute Association Convention in Atlanta. In 2025, he founded The Sisu Project, an initiative bringing Finnish cultural music to life. To further this initiative, he shot a documentary in partnership with NYCL Films, which is premiering in the winter of 2026. The documentary contains meaningful messages about the importance of sharing culture and telling stories, the need for a spiritual connection and the liberation one feels in discovering their heritage.

Luke is not only a composer but an avid performer. In addition to his classical piano studies, Luke has gained much experience as a rock keyboard player. Last summer, he toured Europe with Banned from Utopia, a rock group containing members of Frank Zappa's original band. He headlined the International Zappanale Festival with them in Bad Doberan, Germany, before leaving to tour with Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers. With Gibby, he performed in Helsinki, Tallinn, Prague, Berlin, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, Manchester and Dublin for thousands of people each night.