Luka Coetzee

“Tonally, technically and musically superb,” Canadian cellist Luka Coetzee (b. 2004) “plays sublimely, with an interpretative grasp [and] phenomenal musicianship [that] should on no account be missed” (Fanfare Magazine). Since her professional debut at the age of eleven, Luka has appeared as a soloist with orchestras worldwide including the Helsinki Philharmonic, Lahti Symphony, Cape Town Philharmonic, National Philharmonic, Stuttgart Chamber, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Hradec Kralove Philharmonic, National Orchestre de Cannes and more.

Luka has received numerous awards, including First Prize at the 7th International Paulo Cello Competition in 2023. In 2022, she was recognized as the First Prize Winner at the Pablo Casals International Award, she received the Frans Helmerson Promotional Award from Kronberg Academy and was awarded First Prize in the Johansen International Competition in Washington, DC, garnering further attention for her exciting introduction as an international soloist.

As a member of the Echo Klassik-nominated LGT Young Soloists, Luka has performed in concert halls around the world including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Berlin Philharmonie, Tonhalle Zürich, Victoria Hall Singapore, Rheingau Musik Festival and Woordfees Festival in Stellenbosch, South Africa. With LGTYS, Luka’s critically acclaimed Naxos recording of the Beethoven A Major Cello Sonata was No. 1 on the Apple Music Classical Video Charts in more than 40 countries.

Luka frequently performs at schools, hospitals, senior homes and community events. She was the Calgary Regional Director of the Back to Bach Project, “a global initiative to inspire music and arts education for young children.” Luka had her first cello lesson with Christine Bootland at the age of one. She graduated from the Advanced Performance Program at the MRU Conservatory Calgary where she collaborated with and was mentored by Susanne Ruberg-Gordon. Other previous mentors include John Kadz and Horacio Contreras. Luka also started playing piano at the age of three and finished the Royal Conservatory of Music ARCT piano exam with First Class Honours under the instruction of Derek Chiu. She is currently a scholarship holder of the Mozart Gesellschaft Dortmund.

Since October 2024, Luka has been studying at Kronberg Academy with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt. Her studies are funded by the Casals patronage.