Luis Miguel Rojas began his music career as a trumpet player, performing professionally as a member of Venezuela's Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra. Due to a lung illness at the age of 19, Mr. Rojas was forced to quit the trumpet. Nevertheless, because of his passion for music, he began studying the cello. Just three years later, he gave the Latin American premiere of Khachaturian’s Cello Concerto, accompanied by Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra. Since then, he has appeared as a soloist on numerous occasions in Venezuela, the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Cuba.

Dr. Rojas received his Bachelor’s Degree from the Conservatorio Simon Bolivar (Prof. Carlos Mendez, William Molina, and Paul Dessene), and has earned a Master’s Degree in cello performance at Duquesne University of Pittsburgh, where he studied with Misha Quint, and Anne Martindale Williams. While in the Pittsburgh area, he held a variety of positions with the Altoona Symphony (Principal), Wheeling Symphony (Principal Associate), and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble. In addition, he also served as substitute for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Opera.

In 2005, Dr. Rojas completed his D.M.A. from Michigan State University, where he focused his studies on works by Latin American composers. Since then, Latin American music has been the heart of his career, as he promotes its inclusion into the standard cello repertoire. He has been invited to give lectures on Latin American music and perform works by living composers in Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Ohio, Carnegie Mellon University (PA), Rutgers University (Camden, NJ), A & M Corpus Christi University (TX), and the University of Texas-Pan American.

Dr. Rojas continues to be an active performer, both as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborates with living composers to create new works for the cello. Currently, Dr. Rojas lives in Philadelphia and is on the cello faculty of the Nelly Berman School of Music, is a resident teacher for Musicopia, and is a Teaching Artist. for the Philadelphia Orchestra.