Dr. Lucas Helker

Percussion, Music Literature

Dr. Luke Helker is a percussionist, educator and sound engineer currently living in Lawrence, Kansas. He is currently completing his doctorate in percussion performance at the University of Kansas. He has had the great privilege to study under Michael Compitello and Sam Um and has had the distinguished pleasure of performing with So Percussion, Sandbox Percussion, yarn/wire, and Eriko Daimo, among others.

Luke is a passionate advocate for contemporary music and has commissioned new music from composers like Jenni Brandon, Kevin Day, Frank Nawrot, Nicholas Tran, and Daijana Wallace. He often collaborates in chamber ensembles with other instrumentalists including cellists, vocalists, and is also interested in interdisciplinary projects and has collaborated with visual artists and dancers.

Luke is currently the instrumental music instructor at the Bishop Seabury Academy and has previously held positions with various high school marching programs, both indoor and outdoor. He is extremely fortunate to have worked with non-profit organizations to provide clinics and masterclasses to K-12 children and public concerts.

As a musicologist, Luke has presented at the Midwest Music Research Symposium at the University of Kansas and Made in Millersville in Pennsylvania. He is particularly interested in studying music that intersects with nature and his Master’s thesis examined the relationship between living in Alaska and the compositional output of composers like John Luther Adams and Matthew Burtner. 

When he’s not in the practice room or the classroom, Luke can often be found running, reading, or in the kitchen trying to make the perfect omelette. He is thrilled to be joining the Raven family at Benedictine.