SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

2022 - 2023

This year David worked as clinician and adjudicator with choirs in Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee and was a lead teacher at Doreen Rao’s Choral Music Experience course in London, three full days of score preparation, pedagogy, conducting practicum, performance teaching and master classes with participants from England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Germany and Poland.   In June the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, ANNA Crusis Feminist Choir, Philadelphia Voices of Pride, and the Philadelphia Orchestra premiered the new orchestral version of PHOENIX SONG at the Kimmel Cultural Campus. New works premiered in Illinois and Florida. In July he was named Artistic Director and Conductor of the Grande Prairie Singers in Chicago’s south suburbs.


2021 - 2022

This season David was a clinician with the Aurora University choir and with singers in Illinois and Indiana, and virtually in Montana and Florida.  He presented the keynote address for the Choral Music Experience Choral Conducting Course UK (London) via zoom, and at the Illinois state ACDA conference, where he was headliner. He was a clinician and adjudicator in Missouri and Illinois, and a guest on the Choral Catalogue podcast.  He attended the ACDA Midwestern and Southern regional conferences in Chicago and Raleigh.

2019 - 2020

For over thirty years David led the choral program at the University of Central Florida. In November he conducted his final concert with UCF choruses.  He conducted the Florida All-State Reading Chorus and was to serve as adjudicator and clinician in Illinois, Kansas, Tennessee and New York City, and as Composer-in-Residence with the Lakeshore Community Chorus in Saugatuck, Michigan. New works were to premiere in Michigan and Florida.  The Covid pandemic changed all that…  In October he received Florida ACDA's inaugural Impact Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Choral Profession and in January the College Music Educator of the Year award from the Florida Music Educators Association.

2018 - 2019

In 2018 - 2019 David prepared University of Central Florida choruses for performances with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted the southeastern premiere of Lou Harrison’s La Koro Sutro at UCF Celebrates the Arts at the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown Orlando.  He served as adjudicator and clinician in Florida, Tennessee and New York City, and taught graduate choral conducting and conducted the Collegiate Chorale at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. New works premiered in Oklahoma, Florida and Beijing, China.

2017 - 2018

This year David conducted the Oklahoma All-State Children’s Chorus, the Alabama All-State Middle School Chorus, and the Adventures in Harmony Men’s Choir Festival in Holland (MI), adjudicated choral festivals in New York, Tennessee and Florida, worked with choirs in Illinois and Florida, and taught at the Choral Music Experience (CME) Institute at Michigan State University and at Texas Tech University School of Music.  He prepared his own chorus for performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted university choral ensembles, orchestra, singers and dancers in Bernstein’s MASS at UCF Celebrates the Arts at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando.  New works premiered in Illinois, Tennessee, New York, Maryland and Oklahoma.

2016 - 2017

In 2016 - 2017 David prepared his university choruses for three concert programs with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted at UCF Celebrates the Arts at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, and in Georgia and Virginia. He was the lead teacher for the Choral Music Experience (CME) workshop and guest composer with YVC Unite! in London, UK, appeared at choral festivals in Florida and Tennessee, and was composer-in-residence at Michigan State University. During the summer he returned to the Vocal Arts Project at Virginia Commonwealth University.  New works premiered in Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

2015 - 2016

This season David was the headliner clinician for the Colorado Music Educators Association conference and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Vocal Arts Project, and a guest of VanderCook College of Music in Chicago.  He appeared with choral festivals in Orlando, Kansas City and Gatlinburg, conducted honor choirs in Florida, and worked with the Norman (OK) Children's Choir and San Francisco bay area’s Crystal Children’s Choir at the University of California – Santa Cruz.

2014 - 2015

In 2014 - 2015 David conducted the Colorado All-State Middle School Treble Chorus and all-county choruses in Hillsborough and Volusia, Florida; was a clinician for Westminster Choir College and the New Jersey ACDA, the Florida Vocal Association at the state FMEA conference, Choral Panorama (FL), choral festivals in Orlando and New York City, and the headliner clinician for the Tennessee state convention of the American Choral Directors Association.  New works premiered in Pennsylvania and Florida.

2013 - 2014

This year David conducted the Norman, Oklahoma All-City 5th Grade Chorus;  the Oregon Music Educators Association Middle School Boys Choir; the LMEA/MENC Youth District Honor Choir in New Orleans; the Osceola County (FL) Elementary Honor Choir; New Mexico and Kansas All-State High School Mixed Choruses and the All-Virginia Middle School Mixed Chorus.  In addition he was Composer-in-Residence at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and appeared as clinician for the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio and adjudicator for choral festivals in Orlando, New York City and Washington D.C.  In Orlando he prepared singers for a performance of the Vivaldi Magnificat and excerpts from the Monteverdi Vespers with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.  Three new works premiered in Florida (Everything Is Music, A Grateful Incense, Music Came and Startled Me)) and another in Tennessee (O Aula Nobilis).

2012 - 2013

During the 2012-2013 season David conducted the North Dakota Junior High All-State Chorus, the Mississippi and Louisiana High School Mixed All-State Choruses, and the Charleston, South Carolina All-City High School Chorus; worked with singers at Mississippi State University, the Clark County Children’s Chorus in Las Vegas, and the Chattanooga Girls Choir; was a clinician for the Orlando Liturgical Conference, Heritage Festival in New York City, Conductor/Headliner Clinician for the Colorado ACDA conference and Composer-in-Residence for the Choral Music Experience Institute at Carthage College (WI).  In addition he prepared choruses for a performance of Mahler’s 3rd Symphony with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the orchestra of the University of Central Florida.  New works premiered in Michigan (Don't Go), California (Songs of Faith), North Dakota (This Is It!), Mississippi (Brainstorm), Nevada (An Irish Blessing), Florida (A Timbered Choir; The Peace of Wild Things) and at the national ACDA convention in Dallas (Grace).


2011 - 2012

This season David conducted choirs in Oregon, Kentucky, New York and Florida, the Kansas All-State Middle School Chorus, and the Sing-A-Mile-High Children’s Choir Festival in Denver; was a presenter for the South Carolina Music Educators State Conference, the Florida Music Educators State Conference and Hal Leonard's Conductors' Craft workshop at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin; and prepared choirs for performances of Puccini, Verdi, Bach and Vivaldi with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.  New works premiered in Iowa (When Thou Commandest Me To Sing), Michigan, Florida, New York (My Song) and Colorado (Jabberwocky).

2010 - 2011

In 2010 - 2011 David conducted in Virginia, Florida, Illinois and Washington with the Northwest Bach Festival Chorus, and appeared for a seventh time at Carnegie Hall, conducting a program of his works for chorus and orchestra.  He was Headliner Clinician for the Michigan Music Educators Association, the Kentucky ACDA summer conference, and clinician at the Florida Music Educators Association and also conducted workshops and festivals in Georgia, Florida and Missouri.  New works premiered in Mississippi (Shall I Silent Be), Florida (Viva la Musica!), New York (Sea Fever), Washington (Sweet Are The Lips Of All That Sing), California (And Ever Is Now) and Alberta, Canada (TTBB version of Yo le Canto Todo el Dia), and Spiritual Musick, the commission for a consortium of thirteen choirs had "first" performances in California, Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, Illinois, Canada and Scotland.  The symphonic wind ensemble transcription of Simple Boat by Ron Ellis premiered at the American School Band Directors Association national convention.


2009 - 2010

This season David conducted in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Alabama and Louisiana, and was a clinician in Chicago.  New works premiered with the Men's Honor Choir at the Southern Division ACDA convention in Memphis (Brothers of the Singing Void), and in Colorado (SATB version of The Circles of Our Lives), Maryland (Rainstick), and Florida (Southern Gals). 

2008 - 2009

From 2008 - 2009 David conducted choirs from Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and China at the Asian Pacific Activities Conference Choral Festival in Kobe, Japan, All-State High School Women's Choirs in Virginia and North Dakota, the All-City Chorus in Norman, Oklahoma and returned to Carnegie Hall for a sixth time, conducting a concert of his works for chorus and orchestra.  He also appeared as conductor for the Portland Symphonic Girlchoir Workshop (Oregon), the High School Choral Leadership Workshop at Emporia State University in Kansas, and was headliner clinician and conductor at the Voices United tri-state conference at George Mason University in Virginia.  New works premiered in Florida, Indiana, South Carolina, Michigan, England, Scotland and the Netherlands and at national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (All I Was Doing Was Breathing) and the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts (The Music Sings in Them).  The orchestral version of I Am in Need of Music had its first performance with the Texas All-State Mixed Choir.

2007 - 2008

During the 2007 - 2008 season, David conducted the Children's Honor Choir at the ACDA Northwest Division convention in Vancouver and the Junior High Honor Choir at the Southern Division convention in Louisville, the Arkansas All-State Men's Chorus, the Oklahoma Arts Institute summer chorus, and regional honor and festival choirs in Pennsylvania, Washington, Florida and New York.  He also presented for the Maryland Music Educators state conference and the Great Plains Music Education Workshop at Emporia State University in Kansas.  New works premiered in Dallas (TTBB version of I Am In Need Of Music), Washington, D.C. (Sir Christemas), St. Louis, MO (Psalm of Praise), Fargo, ND (Laughing Song), Albany, NY (The Lake Isle of Innisfree), Pasadena, CA (Of Such I Dream) and Burlingame, CA (We Clasp The Hands).

2006 - 2007

In the 2006 - 2007 season, David conducted honor choirs at the North Central and Southwestern ACDA division conventions, the West Virginia Middle School All-State Chorus, festival choirs in California, Indiana, Florida, New York and Illinois, and the debut of his symphonic band and choral work, Benedicto, for AMIS (the Association for Music in International Schools) in Brussels, Belgium.  A Living Song premiered at the New Millennium Festival in York, England and other works had their first performances in Connecticut, Florida, West Virginia, Georgia, and Illinois.

2005 - 2006

This season David conducted choruses in Colorado, New York and Florida and, on two occasions, performances at Carnegie Hall.  In addition he was composer-in-residence and conducting coach at the Chorus America Conducting Master class in San Francisco, clinician for the Texas Music Educators Association Conference, Central Connecticut State University’s Summer Choral Workshop, the National conference of the American Choral Directors Association in Miami, and with  choirs in Maryland, Michigan and Florida.  New works premiered in Nebraska, Colorado, Texas and Washington, D.C.

2004 - 2005

From 2004 - 2005 David conducted all-county, all-state and festival choirs in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missippi, Pennsylvania and Illinois, and a program of his works for singers and orchestra at Carnegie Hall.  He appeared as a clinician for the Art of Literacy Symposium in Sarasota, Florida, the Choral Music Experience certification course at Elon College in North Carolina, and the Pennsylvania state ACDA conference at Penn State University.  New works premiered in Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Massachusetts and his intergenerational work Simple Boat, written for the Sierra Leone Project of War Child Netherlands, debuted in the Netherlands.

2003 - 2004

During the 2003-04 season David conducted choirs in Oklahoma, Illinois, Pennsylvania and California and the National Mennonite High School Choral Festival in Virginia; appeared as clinician for the Tennessee Arts Academy in Nashville; and served on the conducting faculty for the New Millennium Festival and Choral Music Experience Institute in Cardiff, Wales. In Orlando, his university singers collaborated with the Orlando Opera and Cirque du Soleil in an acclaimed new production of Orff’s Carmina Burana. New works premiered in Boston for the Eastern Division ACDA convention (The Wheel), in Louisville for the Kentucky Music Educators Association All-State Children’s Chorus (Painted Memories), and in Illinois for the 20th anniversary of the Young Naperville Singers (Daring To Be).

2002 - 2003

In the 2002-03 season David conducted choirs in Illinois, Florida, New York and Vancouver, ACDA honor choirs in Wisconsin and West Virginia, and the Tennessee All-State Mixed Chorus; appeared as a clinician for the Tennessee ACDA state conference, Northern Illinois University School of Music, Cascade 2002 for the Ontario (Canada) Music Educators Association, and conducted his Ode to the Present and Future Days with 180 singers and orchestra at Carnegie Hall. New works premiered in Tennessee, Florida and Texas.

2001 - 2002

From 2001-02 David conducted choirs in Oklahoma, Louisiana, South Carolina, Florida, New York, Texas and Vancouver, and the Georgia 6th Grade Statewide Chorus, and toured Europe with the Florida Ambassadors of Music; appeared as commencement speaker for the University of Illinois School of Music; and as clinician at the Iowa ACDA state conference, the Kennesaw State University Music Education Conference in Georgia and a week long course of choral music study at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. New works premiered in West Virginia and Glasgow, Scotland.

2000 - 2001

During the 2000-01 season David conducted choirs in Iowa, Virginia, New York and Illinois, and the Florida and Kentucky All-State Children’s Choruses; was a clinician for the Ohio and Oklahoma ACDA state conferences, the Perspectives Choral Workshop in Santa Fe, the MENC Northwestern Division conference in Spokane, and an adjudicator for the Undergraduate and Graduate Student Conducting Award Finals for the ACDA National Convention in San Antonio. New works premiered in Florida (Miami and Orlando), Connecticut, Michigan and West Virginia.