Morgan James Luker

Morgan James Luker serves as Associate Professor of Music within the Music Department of Reed College's Division of the Arts, where he has been a core faculty member since 2010. An ethnomusicologist specializing in Latin American musical cultures, his work centers on the sociopolitical dimensions of contemporary tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

His academic credentials include:

• B.A. in Music History from University of Wisconsin, Madison
• M.A. and Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from Columbia University

Luker's research investigates how tango functions as a cultural resource for urban development, social identity, and economic policy in modern Buenos Aires. His scholarship appears in leading journals including Latin American Music Review and Ethnomusicology Forum, with a book manuscript under contract with University of Chicago Press examining tango's role in cultural policy frameworks. He actively bridges academic and performance spheres through directing Tango For Musicians at Reed College, an intensive international summer program.

His teaching portfolio spans Cultural Study of Music, Music and Politics, Latin American Popular Music, and Musical Ethnography, emphasizing critical engagement with music's societal functions. Luker contributes to Reed's academic community through departmental leadership and cross-disciplinary initiatives within the Division of the Arts.