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Luke Batson
 Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone Saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, and composer Luke Batson moved to New York City from Knoxville, Tennessee in 1997 and has since maintained an active career as a freelance woodwind performer and educator. Mr. Batson has performed with Ray Charles, Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons, the New York Jazz Philharmonic, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, the Bill Mobley Big Band, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and the Box Tops as well as appearing in the orchestras of numerous off-Broadway shows. He has also collaborated on numerous jazz, rock/funk, classical, and world music projects throughout the area and has performed in many of the area’s top music venues. As a participant in the Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles in 1999, Mr. Batson was the soprano saxophone soloist for the world premiere of Ralf Schmidt's Wiegenlied fur Fabiana for soprano saxophone and orchestra. He also had the opportunity to perform with Christian McBride, Randy Brecker, Ernie Watts, Gerald Wilson, and the Turtle Island String quartet in such venues as the Hollywood Bowl and the Playboy Mansion. In June, 2008, Mr. Batson performed with Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra at the Montreal Jazz Festival. In October, 2008, Mr. Batson toured Hong Kong and China with the Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra. Mr. Batson has studied with such jazz greats as Mark Turner, Rick Margitza, and Steve Slagle as well as jazz education pioneer Jerry Coker. Other teachers have included Albert Regni of the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Andrew Sterman of the Phillip Glass Ensemble. Mr. Batson is currently on the faculty of the Amadeus Conservatory of Music in Westchester, NY and Hunter College High School in Manhattan. Click the link below to download and print Luke's bio as a PDF  Luke's Jazz Ensemble Click to download: Luke Batson.pdf |