Michael Laucke

Michael Laucke
Laucke in 2011
Background information
Also known as	Young Mike
Born	(1947-01-29) 29 January 1947 (age 70) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres	Classical flamenco new flamenco
Occupation(s)	Instrumentalist music industry businessman music producer
Instruments	Classical guitar, flamenco guitar
Labels	CBS/Aquitaine DeMuzik Intermède Justin-Time McGill University METACOM RCI
Associated acts	The Flamenco Road Show Michael Laucke & Fiesta Flamenco TRIO 3
Website	MichaelLaucke.com
Michael Laucke's voice Recorded 2 November 2015 Problems playing this file? See media help.
Signature

Michael Laucke (born 29 January 1947) is a Canadian classical, new flamenco, and flamenco guitarist and composer, and music industry businessman. From age thirteen, Laucke gave professional snooker demonstrations. He was successful at this venture, and his winnings allowed him to take trips from Montreal to New York City to study classical guitar with Rolando Valdés-Blain. He began performing in 1965, recording the first of 16 albums in 1969. In 1971, he performed his first of many concerts at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. His first concert in New York took place in 1972, where he first met U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell. Laucke is still active in a career spanning five decades, and toured 25 countries.

He was introduced to complex flamenco techniques by Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucía when the two shared a loft and performed together for the jet set in New York City in the early 1970s. In 1982, Laucke was selected by Andrés Segovia to perform for the PBS network at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He became Segovia's pupil, and studied with other classical guitar players including Julian Bream and Alirio Díaz. Laucke performed mainly on classical guitar until 1990, and from then on his concerts consisted solely of flamenco and new flamenco.

Laucke broadened the guitar by creating over 100 transcriptions of classical and flamenco music. Several notable Canadian composers have written atonal works for him. SOCAN's The Music Scene placed Laucke among: "five of Canada's best-known soloists". Music critic emeritus, historian, and musician Eric McLean of the Montreal Gazette avowed: "Laucke is the person who has done more for the guitar in this country than anyone else." Laucke received many honours throughout his career, including the Grand Prix du Disque-Canada for Best Canadian Recording.