Luke Jacobson is a jazz pianist and composer currently studying jazz piano at James Madison University. Equally at home comping behind a vocalist, soloing in a combo, or writing original music, Luke brings a classically trained foundation and a genuine love of improvisation to every performance. Available for gigs and lessons — reach out below.

Luke moves easily between musical worlds. Classically trained from age four under Nadia Ilardi, he discovered jazz improvisation the summer before eighth grade — teaching himself the language almost entirely from YouTube — and has been chasing that sound ever since. Today, as a junior in the jazz studies program at James Madison University, he studies jazz piano with Masa Ishikawa and classical piano with Lori Piitz, performs with the JMU Jazz Band and a jazz combo at Clementine, and accompanies JMU voice majors.

His range doesn't stop at classical and jazz. Luke also writes his own contemporary compositions — including "Orbit," recorded during a 2026 jazz intensive with Peter John Stolzman at the University of Denver, where he took a master class with Solomon Chapman and played alongside pianist Taylor Eigsti and guitarist Gabriel Santiago. Every Sunday during the academic year, he plays piano for worship at Mount Hermon United Methodist Church in Mount Jackson, Virginia. This focus on sacred music has also sparked a growing interest in organ music alongside his piano studies.

Whether the setting calls for a jazz standard, an original piece, a classical work, or music for worship, Luke brings the same combination of technical grounding and musical curiosity to the keys. He is available for gigs and private lessons.