From rural Minnesota to Nashville,
Luke Simonson
A
Story by AUDREY KLETSCHER HELBLING Contributing Writer
t 26, southern Minnesota native Luke Simonson already holds an impressive resume as a professional musician now living in Nashville. He’s worked with Sony, Disney, Nintendo, Netflix, Facebook … He’s recorded for video games, movie soundtracks (including Harriet), theme parks, albums, TV series and more. He’s performed with orchestras. All on the oboe, his instrument of choice, although he can also play the English horn, clarinet, flute, saxophone and piano. Simonson is inherently modest about his accomplishments as a freelance and session musician, who also supports himself by teaching oboe and handcrafting reeds. We caught up with him via email and phone to learn more about his background, his experiences and what drives him. He loves the challenge of going into a job without seeing the music prior, of knowing he will need to tap into his sight-reading, recognition of style, genre flexibility and ability to play well with the metronome skills to succeed. And he has succeeded, a progression which began while attending Faribault High School. Before graduating in 2012, he’d already performed with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra and achieved other musical recognition. While at St. Olaf College, he toured nationally and internationally with the band and orchestra. Following grad school, he moved to Nashville, where he continues to grow his career. “I love the mystery of not knowing what the next project will be,” Simonson says, adding that he’s particularly excited about connecting his pas-
finds his path in music
sion for video games with his work as a professional musician. Among his growing list of video game credits are Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Madden NFL 20. If Simonson’s vague about some of his projects, it’s unintentional. Confidentiality agreements, and the fact that even he’s sometimes kept in the dark, keep him from publicly divulging details. But he knows this. He loves his work. He loves Nashville.
And his talent, experiences and connections are opening doors for him in the music world. Let’s start with your early interest in music, when you were growing up on a farm between Faribault and Morristown. Tell me about your introduction to music and whether your mom, Nancy, a music and piano teacher, played a part in developing
your musical interests and talents. You were quite involved in music while at Faribault High School, too. How did you grow your skills during that time? I was never really introduced to music, as it was always a part of growing up at home. I guess I just
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St. Olaf Orchestra
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