Experience

National Children's Chorus

• United States
• Education
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Artistic Director & CEO

  • Jun 2004 - Present

  Luke McEndarfer is a GRAMMY Award-winning American conductor and one of the most compelling visionaries in the classical music world today. Currently, he serves as Artistic Director, President and CEO of the National Children’s Chorus, one of the fastest-growing and most successful youth arts organizations in the United States. His conducting collaborations include work with the LA Philharmonic, American Youth Symphony, LA Master Chorale, LA Opera, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, the Joffrey Ballet, Opera Parallèle, Kronos String Quartet and Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Over the years, he has prepared choruses and soloists for Gustavo Dudamel, Grant Gershon, James Conlon, Stephen Layton, Ibrahim Maalouf, John Rutter, Helmuth Rilling, David Willcocks, Eric Whitacre and the late Paul Salamunovich. To date, his premiere performances include music by Morten Lauridsen, Sharon Farber, James Wright, Stephen Cohn, Thomas Hewitt Jones, Daniel Brewbaker, Sage Lewis, Shawn Kirchner, Paul Gibson, Rufus Wainwright, and Nico Muhly.McEndarfer’s advanced vocal ensembles in the NCC are among the most accomplished youth choruses, singing at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Royce Hall, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. International debuts have taken place in Oxford and London, England; Beijing and Xi'an, China; throughout Italy, including Vatican City; Berlin, Vienna, Prague and Budapest; as well as South Korea, the Korean DMZ and Japan. In 2022 students performed in Spain and Portugal.Since the age of six, McEndarfer has studied piano extensively, winning competitions and musical honors statewide in California. He is a two-time graduate of UCLA, holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and a Master of Music degree in conducting. Studying privately, McEndarfer has been the pupil of Kenneth Kiesler and Marianne Ploger at the University of Michigan, Lucinda Carver at USC, Simon Carrington and the late Paul Salamunovich.