About

Steven Luksan is a composer, pianist, and educator making music in Seattle, WA, USA.  He is a pianist at Seattle Opera and is the accompanist for the Seattle Mannskor (The Norwegian Male Chorus of Seattle). He currently serves as Composer-in-Residence with the Northwest Edvard Grieg Society and is the founder and artistic director of the Saltwater Music Series (Des Moines, WA), a concert series dedicated to performances of local and off-the-beaten-path chamber music.

Steven is an advocate for the performance of new and uncommon compositions (especially those by Scandinavian composers and women composers), and for the performance of chamber music in intimate settings.  As a composer, his output includes music for ensembles of all sizes, but he feels most at home writing for voice and piano. As a researcher, Steven's interests focus on late-19th and 20th century Nordic and American music, especially music composed by Norwegian-American immigrant composers.

Steven received a Master’s Degree in Music Composition from the University of British Columbia and Bachelor’s Degrees in Music and Norwegian Language from the University of Washington.

Highlights of the 2023-2024 concert season included the premiere of Steven's first opera, Valparaiso, a performance tour throughout Washington State with Seattle Opera's production of Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers, two appearances on KING FM's Northwest Focus Live, and a revival of Alf Hurum's chamber music in both Hawaii and Washington. As a scholar, the season included Steven's presentation "Bjarne Rolseth in America: the Life and Work of a Norwegian-American Composer" at the International Edvard Grieg Society Conference (Bergen, Norway), and his research paper/lecture recital "Leif Erikson in Seattle: Gerard Tonning and Norwegian Opera in the New World" for the Society for the Advancement Scandinavian Studies.

Highlights of the 2022-2023 concert season included the world premiere of his String Quartet at the National Nordic Museum and broadcast performances on KING FM's Northwest Focus Live, All Classical Portland's Thursdays at Three, and features on NPR's Live Sessions. Other appearances included a recital at Icicle Creek Center for the Performing Arts and a tour throughout Washington State with Seattle Opera's production of the bilingual opera Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World.