Patrick Oliverio Photography
Dr. Luke Spence leads a dynamic career as a performer, recording artist, educator, and arts advocate. He is the Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music, Principal Trumpet of the Orchestra of Northern New York, and a member of the chamber groups Anima Brass and the Potsdam Brass Quintet. He is also a performing artist for S.E. Shires Co. and Denis Wick Products.
Recognized for his expressive playing, Spence has been hailed by Fanfare Magazine for his “great artistry,” described as “exquisite” by the International Trumpet Guild Journal, and called “a true expert in phrasing” by the NACWPI Journal. His debut solo album 20th Century Art Songs was named a silver medalist for the Global Music Awards in 2025 and a finalist for the American Prize in 2023.
As an orchestral musician, Spence has appeared with ensembles including the South Florida Symphony Orchestra, National Philharmonic, Fairfax Symphony, Lancaster Symphony, Reading Symphony, Washington Chamber Orchestra, and Mid-Atlantic Symphony. His career has brought him to sold-out performances at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, as well as tours across the U.S., Europe, and China. During summer seasons, he has performed with the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria, the Endless Mountain Festival Orchestra, and Opera in the Ozarks. He has shared the stage with world-renowned artists including Denyce Graves, Joshua Bell, Leon Fleischer, Thomas Hampson, Gordon Lightfoot, Leon Bridges, and Jennifer Nettles.
Spence is particularly passionate about chamber music for its intimacy and versatility. His chamber group, Anima Brass, is dedicated to performing, recording, and promoting new works for brass quintet. Anima can be heard playing the music of celebrated post-minimalist composer, Kali Malone on her 2024 album titled All Life Long. Upon its release, All Life Long was named Pitchfork's "Best New Album," The Guardian's "Album of the Week," NPR's "All Songs Considered," rose to the #4 spot on Billboard's Classical Crossover chart, and was nominated for a Swedish Grammy award for Classical Album of the Year. Critics have described Anima's contributions as "enthralling" and said the album will both "pull on the listener's heartstrings" and leave them in "a state of transcendental bliss." In 2024, Anima joined Malone for a sold-out performance of All Life Long at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, where The New Yorker’s Alex Ross praised their “cool precision and expressive warmth.” Anima has held residencies at institutions such as St. John's College, Frostburg State University, Towson University, and the Peabody Preparatory Institute. Since joining the Crane School of Music faculty in 2022, Spence has performed regularly with the Potsdam Brass Quintet, one of the nation’s oldest professional brass quintets. Earlier in his career, he toured 17 cities throughout mainland China with the Oberlin Brass Quintet. The group also premiered David Maslanka’s Letter to Martin, written to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 commencement address at Oberlin.
A firm believer in music’s power to inspire social change, Spence is General Manager and founding Board of Directors member for the International Pride Orchestra (IPO), a global LGBTQIA+ nonprofit that unites musicians to perform, build community, and support queer causes. During 2025 WorldPride, IPO made international news for their landmark concert at Strathmore Music Center after being disinvited from the Kennedy Center. From 2023–2025, Spence served as Co-Chair of the International Trumpet Guild’s (ITG) Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, where he helped establish the Langston J. Fitzgerald III Legacy Scholarship and fought for greater visibility of underrepresented groups at ITG’s annual conferences.
Spence earned his DMA and MM at the University of Maryland, where he studied with Distinguished Professor Chris Gekker. He also holds a BM with a minor in musicology from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Associate Professor Roy Poper and was the recipient of the 2014 James Stamp Award.
Recognized for his expressive playing, Spence has been hailed by Fanfare Magazine for his “great artistry,” described as “exquisite” by the International Trumpet Guild Journal, and called “a true expert in phrasing” by the NACWPI Journal. His debut solo album 20th Century Art Songs was named a silver medalist for the Global Music Awards in 2025 and a finalist for the American Prize in 2023.
As an orchestral musician, Spence has appeared with ensembles including the South Florida Symphony Orchestra, National Philharmonic, Fairfax Symphony, Lancaster Symphony, Reading Symphony, Washington Chamber Orchestra, and Mid-Atlantic Symphony. His career has brought him to sold-out performances at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, as well as tours across the U.S., Europe, and China. During summer seasons, he has performed with the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria, the Endless Mountain Festival Orchestra, and Opera in the Ozarks. He has shared the stage with world-renowned artists including Denyce Graves, Joshua Bell, Leon Fleischer, Thomas Hampson, Gordon Lightfoot, Leon Bridges, and Jennifer Nettles.
Spence is particularly passionate about chamber music for its intimacy and versatility. His chamber group, Anima Brass, is dedicated to performing, recording, and promoting new works for brass quintet. Anima can be heard playing the music of celebrated post-minimalist composer, Kali Malone on her 2024 album titled All Life Long. Upon its release, All Life Long was named Pitchfork's "Best New Album," The Guardian's "Album of the Week," NPR's "All Songs Considered," rose to the #4 spot on Billboard's Classical Crossover chart, and was nominated for a Swedish Grammy award for Classical Album of the Year. Critics have described Anima's contributions as "enthralling" and said the album will both "pull on the listener's heartstrings" and leave them in "a state of transcendental bliss." In 2024, Anima joined Malone for a sold-out performance of All Life Long at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, where The New Yorker’s Alex Ross praised their “cool precision and expressive warmth.” Anima has held residencies at institutions such as St. John's College, Frostburg State University, Towson University, and the Peabody Preparatory Institute. Since joining the Crane School of Music faculty in 2022, Spence has performed regularly with the Potsdam Brass Quintet, one of the nation’s oldest professional brass quintets. Earlier in his career, he toured 17 cities throughout mainland China with the Oberlin Brass Quintet. The group also premiered David Maslanka’s Letter to Martin, written to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 commencement address at Oberlin.
A firm believer in music’s power to inspire social change, Spence is General Manager and founding Board of Directors member for the International Pride Orchestra (IPO), a global LGBTQIA+ nonprofit that unites musicians to perform, build community, and support queer causes. During 2025 WorldPride, IPO made international news for their landmark concert at Strathmore Music Center after being disinvited from the Kennedy Center. From 2023–2025, Spence served as Co-Chair of the International Trumpet Guild’s (ITG) Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, where he helped establish the Langston J. Fitzgerald III Legacy Scholarship and fought for greater visibility of underrepresented groups at ITG’s annual conferences.
Spence earned his DMA and MM at the University of Maryland, where he studied with Distinguished Professor Chris Gekker. He also holds a BM with a minor in musicology from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Associate Professor Roy Poper and was the recipient of the 2014 James Stamp Award.