David began playing the piano when he was 12 years old.  His first teacher was Mrs. Joan Rowe.  Mrs. Rowe had a large studio of piano students and put on several large concerts every year at the local Rotherham Arts Centre.  This afforded David the opportunity of performing right from the beginning of his piano tutelage and the confidence gained from these concert experiences made David excel at the piano and advance incredibly rapidly.  At 15 David performed a 2 piano version of Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto with Mrs. Rowe playing the orchestral part on the second piano.  After playing the piano for only 5 years David’s repertoire was impressive and extensive.  This repertoire included Chopin (Etudes, Waltzes, Préludes, etc), Rachmaninov (Préludes and Etudes), Beethoven and Mozart sonatas, and countless works by Schumann, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Prokofiev and others.

 

In 1993 David won a place to study at the Royal College of Music in London where his teacher was Ms. Patricia Carroll.  David’s repertoire was further extended in his 4 years at college to include other standard repertoire (such as the 4 Chopin Ballades) to more obscure pieces (such as the Scriabin Etudes for left hand and other 20th Century music).  David also received piano lessons from Peter Katin, Yonty Solomon and John Barstow.

 

Whilst at the RCM David was much sought after as an accompanist.  Because of his impeccable sight-reading skills, ability to play the most difficult pieces of music and the rare ability of being able to transpose on sight, David was chosen to play for masterclasses given by prominent visiting professors, including Pinchas Zukerman, Igor Oistrakh, Emma Kirby and James Galway.

 

In 1994 David worked a part-time piano-playing job providing background music at The Basil Street Hotel, Knightsbridge.  When music director John Wilson heard David play he offered David a residency at this hotel.  In 1995 David was invited, again by Mr. Wilson, to be pianist-in-residence at London’s prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane.  This eventually led to residencies at other 5-Star and deluxe London hotels including The Dorchester, The Park Lane Hilton, Le Meridien, The Royal Garden Hotel, The Landmark, The Lanesborough, The Ritz and The Savoy.  David also worked as resident pianist at Le Caprice and The Ivy, two of London’s swankiest restaurants.

 

It was during this time that David taught himself to play jazz piano.  David quickly became very fluent in the language of jazz and was offered the chance to be pianist-in-residence at Pizza in the Park, one of London’s top jazz clubs.  David has played with many eminent jazz musicians, Broadway singers and West End singers.  Since moving to New York City in 2002 David has already played at most of the top jazz clubs and venues in NYC including Lincoln Center, Jazz @ Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Birdland, The Iridium, The Cutting Room, The Rainbow Room,  and many others.

 

David continues to be in extremely high demand as a jazz pianist, classical pianist, accompanist and teacher (his piano pupils include beginners of all ages and also prominent members of society and celebrities).