BIOGRAPHY

David Campbell is internationally respected as a fine clarinetist and teacher.

After spending eleven years in Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ chamber ensemble, ‘The Fires of London’ as well as playing regularly with the London Sinfonietta, London Mozart Players and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, David has more recently forged a career centred around solo repertoire and chamber music. His playing has taken him to over forty countries to work with as a soloist with leading orchestras and playing with string quartets and larger ensembles.

The finest player of his generation! - Jack Brymer

His repertoire is wide-ranging but he still champions new works, many of which have been written for him. As well as numerous broadcasts over the past thirty years, David has made many CDs covering a broad repertoire. His recording of the Clarinet Quintet by Sir Arthur Bliss with the Maggini Quartet on the Naxos label and recording of the Peter Lieuwen’s ‘River of Crystal Light’ received critical acclaim. The CD entitled, ‘Reflections’ comprising concertos by Gerald Finzi, Graham Fitkin and Carl Davis, is featured in the Classic FM top 300. A recording of Richard Blackford’s clarinet quintet ‘Full Moon’ with the Solstice Quartet, has just been released on Naxos. Another work by Blackford, Five Naidu Songs for mezzo-soprano string quartet and clarinet will be recorded for Naxos this autumn.

David Campbell is passionate about music education and is currently ‘Head of Woodwind’ at Westminster School and a Visiting Lecturer at City University in London and also teaches a few students at Kings College School, Wimbledon. He has been Artistic Director of Musicfest since 2001 and has tutored at courses in Harrogate, Dartington, York University, the Johann Strauss School of Music in Malta and Domaine Forget Academy in Quebec. In January 2018 he returns to Bahrain to adjudicate at the Young Musician of the Gulf Competition and will give a masterclass in Dubai. David also coaches members of the London Schools’ Symphony Orchestra.

He was the UK Chair of the International Clarinet Association for twenty years, and recently retired as and Chair of the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain.

After some 35 years endorsing Buffet clarinets, David changed to Yamaha CSG III clarinets in October 2016 and is proud to now be an official Yamaha Artist. He will undertake promotional workshops, presentations, masterclasses and concerts for the company over the next few years. David is also pleased to endorse D’Addario reeds and other products.