Meet the Orchestra

Ming Luke has served as the music director and principal conductor of the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra since 2022. In addition to heading the LCSO he also serves serves as the music director and principal conductor for the Nashville Ballet, the Merced Symphony, and Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra and as theeducation director for the Berkeley Symphony. He has appeared with San Francisco Ballet (where is he principal guest conductor), Boston Ballet, New York City Ballet Orchestra, San Diego Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Bolshoi Orchestra. He has collaborated with leading choreographers including Mark Morris, Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, Alexei Ratmansky, Cathy Marston, Benjamin Millepied, and David Dawson. He debuted as conductor with the San Francisco Symphony in 2021.

Luke has been recognized nationally for his work in music education and has designed and conducted more than 150 education concerts and programs with organizations including the Berkeley Symphony, Houston Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Opera.

He holds a master of fine arts in conducting from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor of music in music education and piano pedagogy from Westminster Choir College.