David was born in Nottinghamshire and studied organ and singing at the Royal Academy of Music. After working as a freelance organist, singer and conductor, including the post of Director of Music at All Saints Paris Church, Kingston, he joined the Welsh National Opera company, where he performed a number of roles including Captain/Zaretsky Eugene Onegin, Doctor Grenvil La Traviata, Bertrand Iolanta. After studying at the National Opera Studio David returned to WNO as an Associate Artist, where roles include Colline La Boheme, Zuniga Carmen, Bonze Madam Butterfly, Brander The Damnation of Faust, Bass The Seven Deadly Sins, Ferrando Il Trovatore, Alidoro La Cenerentola, The King Aida and Lodovico Otello. Other roles include Banquo Macbeth, Zaccaria Nabucco, Alvise Badoero La Gioconda for Opera Holland Park, and Donner Das Rheingold for Lucerne Festival. In 2009 David was the first recipient of the Family Parry Bursary for an Associate Artist at WNO.
David’s concert repertoire includes Messiah, Creation, Elijah, Mozart and Brahms Requiem, Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 and Missa Solemnis, Verdi’s Requiem, Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius and The Apostles, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Stanford’s Songs of the Fleet, Bach’s mass in B minor, St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, Christmas Oratorio and numerous cantatas including Ich habe genug for solo bass.
In the 08/09 season David sang the title role in Le nozze di Figaro, Colline in La Boheme, Surin in Pique Dame for Welsh National Opera, Alfonso in Lucrezia Borgia for the Buxton Festival, and Beethoven 9 with the RWCMD under Sir Charles Mackerras and with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra.
In the 09/10 season David sang First Workman in Wozzeck with the London Philharmonia under Esa-Pekka Salonen, Handel’s Messiah with the Academy of Ancient Music in Utrecht conducted by Richard Egarr, Escamillo in Carmen, the Doctor in La Traviata, Nightwatchman in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, the Doctor in Wozzeck and Sparafucile in Rigoletto for Welsh National Opera, where he was Principal Artist. David completed the season making his debut at the Salzburg Festival as Le Duc in Romeo et Juliette.
Engagements in the 10/11 season included the Old Monk in Don Carlo in Bilbao, Masetto in Don Giovanni with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by Robin Ticciati, Quinault in Adriana Lecouvreur for his debut at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Ferrando in Il Trovatore for Welsh National Opera, Handel’s Messiah with the English Concert conducted by Harry Bicket, the title role in Belisario with Chelsea Opera Group, and Masetto in Don Giovanni for Glyndebourne Festival Opera. David recorded for broadcast Act 3 of Rigoletto (Sparafucile) with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and recently released his debut solo album 'Hidden Treasure' on the online record label 'Resonus Classics', with pianist James Southall.
Engagements in the 11/12 season and beyond include Hymen/Sleep/Coridon/Winter in The Fairy Queen and Mr Flint in Billy Budd for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Leporello in Don Giovanni, the title role in Le nozze di Figaro and Colline in La Boheme for Welsh National Opera, Signor La Rocca in Un giorno di regno for Bilbao Opera, and his Metropolitan Opera debut in the 12/13 season. Concert engagements include Handel’s Messiah with the City of Birmingham Choir and with Britten Sinfonia, Belshazzar’s Feast with the Hallé Orchestra, and the Brahms Requiem and Schoenberg’s Ode to Napoleon with Welsh National Opera.