(b. 1966, Encarnación).
Paraguayan composer, now resident in both Paraguay and the USA, of mostly orchestral and chamber works that have been performed in the Americas and Europe.
Mr. Luzko studied music privately with José Luis Miranda and Luis Szarán in Paraguay from 1985–89, then studied composition with Edward Mattila and piano with Jack Winerock at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, where he earned his MA in composition in 1995. He had postgraduate studies in composition with Marian Borkowski at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw from 1992–94, then studied composition with Helmut Braunlich at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D. C. from 1995–97 and there earned his DMA.
Among his honours are First Prize as a pianist in the competition of the organisation Sigma Alpha Iota (1991), Primer Premio as a composer in the competition Villa de Madrid (1998, for Concerto [piano]) and the Premio Nacional de Música from the government of Paraguay (1999, for Trayecto).
He is also active in other positions. As a conductor, he has led the Orquesta Sinfónica de la Ciudad de Asunción and has worked with UNESCO on projects to create youth orchestras throughout Paraguay. As a pianist, he has performed in Austria, Paraguay and the USA.
He has taught in Paraguay and the USA and has lectured in Austria, Brazil and Costa Rica.
He is the brother of the composer Nancy Luzko.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
ORCHESTRAL:
Three Pieces for String Orchestra, 1992
Concertino, piano, orchestra, 1993
Impressions of Nature, 1994
Trayecto, 1995
Concerto, piano, orchestra, 1996
Concerto, violin, orchestra, 1997
Arrival, symphonic band, 2000
Concerto, flute, symphonic band, 2002
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Cuestionamiento, 2 flutes, oboe, guitar, 1986
Tic, Tac, Toe, guitar, 1988
Trío, flute, oboe, piano, 1988
Introduction and Rondo, flute, oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, 1992
Two Pieces, 3 percussion, 1992
Movement – Variations on 'Che Trompo Araza', flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1996
String Quartet, 1996
Adriana, violin, live electronics, 1997
David's Prayer, flute, piano, 1999
CHORAL:
Land of Promise (text by José Augusto Rivera), mixed chorus, 1995
Óyeme desde Lejos (fantasia, text by Augusto Roa Bastos), soprano, mixed chorus, orchestra, 1997
VOCAL:
Two Songs (text by T. S. Eliot), soprano, flute, 1995
Three Songs (text by John Thurman), tenor, piano, 1996
PIANO:
Four Pieces, 1986–89
Sensus, 1994
ELECTROACOUSTIC:
Ballet Suite, fixed media, 1991
Dimensions, fixed media, 1991
Study for Sound Design, fixed media, 1993