Lukas Pearse is a Haligonian who has been deeply involved as a professional bassist since 1990 in a radically wide variety of genres, spanning jazz, indie rock, hip-hop reggae and folk to classical, multicultural fusion, contemporary indigenous, experimental and free-improv. He plays both double bass and bass guitar in both traditional and non-traditional ways, collaborating with many of Nova Scotia’s most highly regarded artists over many styles. He regularly performs throughout Atlantic Canada, and has appeared in many festivals and concert series across Canada, and occasionally Europe, including major Canadian jazz, folk and rock festivals in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver, as well as at FIMV in Victoriaville, at CEM in Saguenay, at the Royal Academy of Music in London UK, Collumnia Festival in Köln Germany, Emerson Gallery Berlin Germany, and many, many others. He has performed at events hosted by ECMA, JUNO, Canadian Folk Music Award, and Music Nova Scotia Awards, and performed and recorded with nominees and winners in a variety of categories.  

From and very much of the vibrant cultural scenes of Halifax, after a decade of professional performance as a primarily self-taught musician, he studied Double Bass at Dalhousie University, and Contemporary Music at Goldsmiths College, UK, where he focused equally on both classical, jazz and popular music techniques and repertoire, as well as private lessons with the Baroque / Avant Garde double bass virtuoso Barry Guy, then living in Ireland.

He is an award-winning film composer, sound designer and Foley artist for film and television, composed and performed for modern dance productions in Montreal and Halifax, and has exhibited sound and video art installations in both professional gallery and outdoor arts festivals. He has taught sound design at both the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and at the Fountain School of Performing Arts. He has published journal articles regarding improvisation and electroacoustics, written entries for the New Grove Encyclopedia of Popular Music, and is a passionate advocate for the sonic and musical arts with a deep breadth of musical knowledge and experience.

He is the Artistic Director of Upstream Music Association and of the Open Waters Festival of New and Improvised Music.

Lukas Pearse performs regularly in Halifax