Award-winning Canadian pianist Luke Welch was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and grew up nearby in Mississauga. He played his first public performance at age seven, and his early private piano teachers include Catherine Kuzeljevich and John-Paul Bracey. He later graduated from Western University in Canada with Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and completed additional graduate studies at Codarts University for the Arts in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Welch has performed extensively on the international stage including appearances in Canada, United States of America, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and New Zealand and highlight performances include recitals at Beethoven Haus in Bonn, Germany, Music Mondays in Toronto, and St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, UK. He has also appeared at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh (Scotland), Keukenhof (Lisse, the Netherlands), and St. Andrew’s-on-the-Terrace in Wellington, New Zealand.
Welch made his debut as soloist with Durham Chamber Orchestra, and has since collaborated with a number of orchestras including the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Mumbles Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Concert Orchestra, Winchmore String Orchestra, Greenway Strings, York Chamber Ensemble, and Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra.
In addition to his performance commitments, he has also been highly sought after as an interdisciplinary collaborative pianist. He has worked closely with a number of renowned international academies and companies including Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT), Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, Dans Ateliers, Holland Dance Festival, Codarts Rotterdam Conservatory, Royal Conservatory of the Hague, Dutch National Ballet, and National Ballet of Canada.
Welch’s recordings have received international critical acclaim, and his performances have been broadcast on CBC Radio, WQXR-FM New York, WXXI Classical in Rochester, KING-FM 98.1 Seattle, The Grand FM 101, and Radio Classique and have been featured as CBC In Concert Album of the Week, including ‘Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Piano Works’ and ‘Northern Magnolias: Robert Nathaniel Dett Piano Works’.
In addition to his written contributions to the Globe and Mail, Wholenote Magazine, and La Scena Musicale Magazine – including the highly-regarded publication of ‘Life as Black Classical Pianist’ – he has also active as a podcaster and was named the 2018 recipient of the Harry Jerome Arts Award, distinguished with national recognition.
Welch has taught in both Canada and Europe. He was appointed to the Faculty of Piano at York University in 2024 and the Royal Conservatory of Music Oscar Peterson Program in 2022.