SIOUX FALLS, S.D (KELO) — Sioux Falls native Luke Carlsen has been working since he was a kid to build up his singing career. Now he’s back for a weekend to perform with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.

Jazz singer Luke Carlsen has always had a love for music.

“I think I was, you know, just good at music for whatever reason, and my parents kind of ran with that and encouraged me, they didn’t say shouldn’t do it. They were always saying like, yeah, just go for it,” Carlsen said.

Carlsen was born and raised in Sioux Falls. In college, he moved to California to continue his music career.

Now the 30-year-old has his own band, The Fresh Rhythm, and is working to produce his first album.

“It takes a lot to come from a rather small city and grow to the place where you’re getting national attention. The kind of dedication to one’s craft and single-mindedness towards one’s career,” Gier said.

Maestro Delta David Gier with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra has known Carlsen since he was a student at Lincoln High School.

He invited Carlsen back to Sioux Falls for a Valentine’s Day themed orchestra performance.

“I’ve just felt it was the right time to, to bring him back and feature him with the orchestra. I knew that he was interested,” Gier said.

“It’ll be really nice to get back in there and just play with some of the musicians I know in the orchestra and just take kind of what I learned from, from my time in Los Angeles back here, kind of meld those worlds,” Carlsen said.

The performance ‘Songs of Romance’ will take place at the Washington Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Carlsen will also be performing tonight at 8 at the Icon in Downtown Sioux Falls.