(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