Mark David

Mark David, Artistic Director and Head of Brass at the Royal Academy of Music and Principal Trumpet in the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, has enjoyed a distinguished career as a performer with some of the most prestigious ensembles in the world. He has been described as "epitomising the very best of British Trumpet playing: clarity of tone, elegance of style and with sustained power when required."

Prior to joining the ASMF he held the position of Principal Trumpet in the Philharmonia Orchestra for over twenty years. He performed as a soloist with the Philharmonia in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No 2, directed by András Schiff, the Haydn trumpet concerto conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy and Copland's Quiet City at Buckingham Palace in a private concert for the Prince and Princess of Wales.

He has also performed the Haydn concerto with the ASMF in London and Switzerland, and in March 2017 he toured the USA with the ASMF, performing Copland's Quiet City, Shostakovich Piano concerto no 1, and a new commission for piano, trumpet and strings, "The Haunted Ebb" by Alasdair Nicholson.

Mark was born in Cornwall and began his musical life in the county’s renowned brass bands. He studied at the Birmingham School of Music with John Wilbraham and later with Håkan Hardenberger. His professional career began as Principal Trumpet at Opera North and continued at the Bournemouth Symphony before he moved to the Philharmonia in 1990.

Alongside his performing schedule, Mark’s leadership as Artistic Director and Head of Brass at the Royal Academy of Music has positioned the brass department as one of the foremost in the world, and his former students occupy positions in orchestras worldwide. Mark is also active as a brass clinician and pedagogue. Recent masterclasses have included visits to the USA, Australia, China, Germany, Switzerland, Finland and France.

In his leisure time Mark is a keen sportsman, competing in triathlons and ultra-marathons and is a qualified ski instructor, personal trainer and mountain bike instructor. His teaching draws on techniques and inspiration from these and other disciplines to underpin his teaching philosophy of "guided self-discovery."