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Newly appointed Artistic and Music Director, Luke Frazier, is slated to conduct his second mainstage concert of his inaugural season – Bach, Beethoven and Brahms at the Keyboard. Frazier, 40, will be leading the Mahler Bach Suite from the harpsichord, just like Mahler did on his debut concert with the NY Philharmonic – Recreating that iconic moment in Broward County.
The Harpsichord that will be featured was built by one of America’s premiere builders, Eric Herz, and the Suite itself features Bach’s gorgeous and well-known Air on the G String as the third movement; Beethoven’s vibrant Rondo for Piano and Orchestra, is a rarely performed piece as most audiences are familiar with the concertos, this is a time to hear a piece that’s thrilling and rarely performed in Florida; The Brahms Quartet – orchestrated by the famous composer, Schoenberg, for the LA Philharmonic – Never before played by Symphony of the Americas. The piece is full of twists and turns and so much lush, beautiful harmony that you’d expect from Brahms.
Luke Frazier commented, “In a time when most orchestras are using a cookie-cutter approach to programming, we’re going a different way – Making sure the music-making is vital and energetic instead of same old, same old. We don’t want to blend in at Symphony of the Americas – We seek to be trend setters! And doing so with music by composers we all know and love, presented in new and dynamic ways.”
ABOUT LUKE FRAZIER
Having been featured on more than 30 PBS national broadcasts and named an Arts Envoy of the US State Department, Luke has carved out an extraordinary role focused exclusively on bringing people together through music. Frazier is a conductor, music director and pianist who believes that the future of music depends on breaking down barriers between musicians and audiences. His philosophy is that the most important priority for a modern conductor is not only musical excellence, but also to create diverse and engaging programming that brings communities together through the joy of music. Luke believes that conductors are the bridge between the audience and the orchestra and what he programs and how it relates to the listeners, is the heartbeat of what keeps orchestral programming alive.
Luke began as Principal Pops Conductor with the Symphony of the Americas in the 2024-2025 season, and most recently, beginning in the 2025-2026 season, Frazier took over as Artistic and Music Director. In 2015, Frazier started the American Pops Orchestra (APO) to present a broad array of popular and classical music in innovative ways to bring new audiences into the orchestral world. In addition, Luke has conducted at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, LA Music Center, Kennedy Center and more.
ABOUT MARY ANNE HUNTSMAN, PIANIST
One of the most exciting American pianists of her generation, Mary Anne Huntsman has performed throughout Europe, the United States and Asia! Recent highlights including solo engagements with the Nice Philharmonic under the baton of Philippe Auguin, the Utah Symphony, concerts at the Xiamen University Music Center in Fujian, China, Artist at the Moab Music Festival, as well as intimate recitals at foreign embassies throughout Washington DC and Beijing. Ms. Huntsman has now been featured twice at Carnegie Hall including her debut in January 2014. Strongly committed to the transformational impact of music in communities, Mary Anne has been actively involved in promoting the University of Utah’s Piano Outreach Program, working to empower underprivileged children through exposure to music and musical training. Ms. Huntsman has served on the teaching faculty of the Western Academy of Beijing and the Avenues School in NYC.
ABOUT SYMPHONY OF THE AMERICAS
Symphony of the Americas is a Broward County major cultural institution continuing to present the finest classical and crossover repertoire to South Florida audiences. The Symphony’s mainstage concert series is performed at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The Symphony continues its commitment to serving South Florida’s multicultural population with diverse programming – A cultural crossroads of music, ranging from classical to Broadway.
