Known for his relaxed feel and commanding sound, Lucian Gray has established an international reputation as a virtuosic young guitarist with a deep respect for the jazz tradition. Lucian performs extensively as both a leader and sideman, and is also an in-demand music educator.

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Lucian was born into a musical family. His father is one of Canada’s foremost trumpet players, and his mother the head of her own music school. He started studying classical piano at the age of 4, switching focus to the upright bass and jazz as he entered his teens.

Upon entering high school, Lucian decided to pick up the guitar and played in various rock and jazz-fusion groups throughout his teens. After being introduced to the music of Wes Montgomery, he decided he wanted to be a jazz guitarist full-time despite already having work as a bassist.

In 2008, Lucian was awarded the Slaight Scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. He graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree of Music Performance. During his time at Berklee, Lucian studied with guitar guru Mick Goodrick.

In 2015, Lucian entered the first Wes Montgomery International Jazz Guitar Competition and was one of five finalists selected to perform at the culminating concert of the competition.

In 2019, Lucian was selected as a semifinalist in the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Guitar Competition. At the competition semifinals in Washington, D.C, Lucian performed to a prestigious panel of judges that included guitarists Pat Metheny, Russell Malone, Stanley Jordan and Lee Ritenour.

Lucian is an experienced jazz educator, with a methodology that emphasizes fundamentals and practical performance skills that help students refine their sound. He has taught privately in the Toronto area for over a decade, and as well as a number of clinics and workshops locally and around the country.

Lucian joined the faculty at Humber College in Toronto in 2019, teaching in their renowned music performance degree program.