About
Professor David King
Australian by birth, David King has a distinguished career profile as an international conductor, instrumentalist, music educator and consultant spanning over 40 years.
David King was awarded the title ‘International Brass Musician of the Year’ in 1992 and completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2000 – the first recipient of a Performance research doctorate awarded within the British university sector. In 2003 he was awarded professorial status and prior to 2009 was Chair of Music – Performance at the University of Salford, England.
From 2004 – 2007 Professor David King was Course Director of the University of Salford MA music programme – the largest externally delivered music education programme linked with the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) and Her Majesty’s Royal Marines.
In 2002 Professor David King was appointed Conductor and Musical Director of the ‘Massed Bands of the North West of England’ performing in the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. He was also guest conductor at the World Expo, Switzerland 2002.
David King has represented England in the European Brass Band Championships as a conductor on thirteen occasions winning the title an unprecedented ten times.
He has also won the Norwegian National Championships on ten occasions and has been awarded the Mortimer Award as winning conductor at the British Open Championships on four occasions (YBS Band) and the Royal Albert Hall National Championships of Great Britain in 2010, 2011 & 2017 (Brighouse & Rastrick Band).
Professor David King achieved an unprecedented ‘grand slam’ in 2003 as winning conductor at all four major international music festivals in the same year – Norwegian National Championships (Stavanger Band), European Championships (YBS Band), British Open Championships (YBS Band), and the North American National Brass Band Championships (Stavanger Band).
As Principal Conductor and Musical Director of the legendary YBS Band (1993 – 2006) David King’s performance research and recording portfolio includes a definitive three volume compilation, ‘Essays for Brass’ (Polyphonic Label), which has received unprecedented international acclaim within the World of Brass.
Regarded by his peers as a leading interpreter of wind music, Professor David King has commissioned, choreographed, directed and premiered award winning thematic projects for the concert platform working in collaboration with internationally acclaimed composers for the genre. These include Cry of the Celts, Voice of the Vikings, Hymn of the Highlands, Celtic Fusions, Symphonic Dances and War of the Worlds.
In 2005 Professor King conducted and directed the ‘Kings of Europe’ YBS Australian tour which culminated in the world premiere of two major commissioned works performed in the Sydney Opera House – Sunburnt Land (composer Professor Brenton Broadstock) and Terra Australis (composer Dr. Martin Ellerby).
A recipient of the Iles Medal from The Worshipful Company of Musicians (London), David King was awarded Emeritus Professorship by the University of Salford, UK in 2010.
For the past decade Professor King has maintained an active profile both as a freelance international conductor and music educator. From 2008 – 2015 he was Artistic Director of the National Australia Brass Festival (NABfest) and Music Director of Australia’s first National Youth Band (2013 – 2016).
Professor David King is currently the International Chair in Band Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, UK. He is also Director of the National Australia Brass Academy and in 2018 was appointed Musical Director of the newly founded National Youth Brass Band of America.
David King is the current winning conductor of the North American National Championships (Fountain City Brass – Kansas, USA).
