Lucas Harris is one of Canada's leading specialists in historical plucked-string instruments and a highly respected conductor, educator, and scholar. Performing on lute, theorbo, baroque guitar, archlute, and related instruments, he is known for his expressive musicianship, deep knowledge of historical performance practice, and versatility as both a performer and director.

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Harris began his musical life playing both jazz and classical guitar before discovering the lute during his undergraduate studies at Pomona College, where he graduated summa cum laude. He subsequently pursued advanced studies in early music at the Civica Scuola di Musica di Milano in Italy as a scholar of the Marco Fodella Foundation and later at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen in Germany. After several years in New York City, he moved to Toronto in 2004 and became a Canadian citizen in 2017.

For more than two decades, Harris has been the regular lutenist of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, appearing in concerts, recordings, and tours across North America and beyond. He also performs regularly with leading ensembles in Canada and the United States, including the Smithsonian Chamber Players and the Newberry Consort. A founding member of the Toronto Continuo Collective, the Vesuvius Ensemble, and the Lute Legends Ensemble, he has played a significant role in the development of Canada's early music community.

In addition to his performing career, Harris is an accomplished conductor. In 2014 he completed graduate studies in choral conducting at the University of Toronto, supported in large part by a prestigious Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant. Upon graduation, he was appointed Artistic Director of the Toronto Chamber Choir, where he developed and conducted more than forty themed concert programs. He has also directed projects for Pacific Baroque Orchestra, the Ohio State University Opera Program, Les Voix Baroques, the Toronto Consort, Atalante, and Early Music Vancouver.

A dedicated teacher, Harris has served on the faculty of the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer and Winter Institutes, Oberlin Conservatory's Baroque Performance Institute, Vancouver Early Music's Baroque Vocal Programme, the Lute Society of America's Lute Fest, the International Baroque Institute at Longy, and Amherst Early Music.

Praised by Le Devoir for his “infinitely subtle interventions” and the “astonishing” sweetness and patience of his playing, Harris is widely admired for the artistry, sensitivity, and historical insight he brings to every performance. He lives in Toronto with his musical and life partner, Baroque violinist Geneviève Gilardeau, and their daughter, Daphnée.