Hans Luchs

I am a guitarist, composer, and educator living in New York City. I'd first like to introduce myself as a performer. Although it's not necessary for every teacher to be active as a performer, I'd like to highlight some of my career as a musician. I have played in a wide array of settings, from small jazz clubs to large outdoor festivals and concert halls. I originally got my start playing around Chicago, performing at The Auditorium Theatre, The Chicago Jazz Festival, The Green Mill, Buddy Guy's Legends, and The Jazz Showcase to name a few. Since moving to New York, I have played at Smalls, Ornithology, Cafe Ornithology, The Django, Minton's Playhouse, Midnight Blue, The Bowery Electric, The Bitter End, and many other venues around New York City. I've also played internationally in Sweden, England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Mexico, Canada, and Turkey.

I've performed and toured with an array of artists in several musical traditions, including 8-time Grammy winner Pepe Aguilar, Motown legend Martha Reeves, "Daughter of the Blues" Shirley King, and many jazz musicians in New York, Chicago, and beyond.

In addition to my time playing gigs, I've always taught in various capacities. I'm currently on faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, where I primarily teach group guitar and ukulele. Previous to living in New York, I also taught as a teaching artist for the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, under the direction of artistic director Orbert Davis. During my time in Chicago, I earned a master's degree in jazz performance from DePaul University and a bachelor's in music performance from the University of Illinois-Chicago.

As a teacher, I would say my style is pretty simple and straightforward. I listen to my students, and we work together to achieve the student's goals. Some students just want to strum some chords and play folk or rock songs. Other students want to work on more advanced material. I am very happy to work with students of any age and level, and will do my best to help them achieve their goals. I love music, and will always offer to pass along knowledge about music I love.