Luis Engelke is Professor of Trumpet at Towson University and holds the position of Principal Trumpet with the Lancaster, Kennett Symphony, and Mid Atlantic Symphony Orchestras, St. John’s Chamber Orchestra, and Endless Mountain Music Festival. He performs well over one hundred engagements annually as a soloist and orchestral/chamber musician and serves as a Music Reviews Editor for the International Trumpet Guild Journal. A past board member for the International Trumpet Guild (ITG), Engelke currently serves as Vice President for the Baltimore Musicians’ Association (Local 40-543 of the American Federation of Musicians) and as a Yamaha Performing Artist/Clinician. His solo albums titled A Brazilian Collection and Songs, Remembrances, and Impressions received critical acclaim, and his anthology of Brazilian trumpet music published by Balquhidder Music contains first editions of significant works from his home nation.
A former member of Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira and Concert Artists of Baltimore, Engelke has performed with more than fifty professional orchestras internationally including the symphonies of Baltimore, Delaware, Harrisburg, Maryland, Richmond, Phoenix, San Diego, York, and Sydney (Australia), as well as the Thailand Philharmonic, Annapolis Opera Orchestra, and Baltimore Bach Orchestra. Engelke has been featured as soloist with the Endless Mountain Festival Orchestra, Rome Festival Orchestra, Orquestra Eintracht, Naval Academy Band, Gulf Coast Symphony, Frederick Symphony, Lancaster Symphony, and Lancaster British Brass Band, and performed with such diverse musicians as Andrea Bocelli, Sierra Boggess, Celtic Woman, Irish Tenors, Manheim Steamroller, and The Moody Blues, as well as Brazilian legends Paulo Moura, Ivan Lins, Sivuca, and Zé da Velha. Engelke recorded trumpet solos for soundtracks for the films Villa-Lobos: Sua Vida de Paixão, Stories of the Land, and Elefteria. He has performed as a soloist in North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Australia and appeared on more than fifty commercially released recordings for the Pro-Arte, Decca, Innova, Aurora, and several other labels.
Engelke’s more than two hundred and fifty publications include articles in the International Trumpet Guild Journal, Euro-ITG Newsletter, Jazz Educators Journal, College Music Symposium, NACWPI Journal, The Double Reed, The International Musician, and Triad. In addition to Balquhidder Music, Art of Sound, EC Schirmer, Hickman Music Editions, and Triplo Press in the USA and Topp Brass in Switzerland have published his compositions, arrangements, and editions. He has worked to enhance the repertoire for solo trumpet with both his personal commissions and as chair of the ITG’s Commissions Committee, bringing to light new international works by Michael Daugherty, Clarice Assad, Wang Ning, Julian Wachner, Lakshminarayana Subramaniam, Nestor de Hollanda Cavalcanti, and Antônio Guerreiro. Many organizations have supported his research and performance through scholarships and grants including the following: CAPES-Fulbright, Music Teachers National Association, ITG, and Rádio Mec. He has taught at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Conservatório Brasileiro de Música, Arizona State University, Ohio State University, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and Florida State University Music Camps. A frequent lecturer and guest artist, he has presented master classes and recitals throughout the world.