David Palmer

David Palmer is a composer and pianist specialising in 20th and 21st century repertoire. He combines his work at the RCMJD with a College Lectureship at Keble College, Oxford, and a Junior Fellowship at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

David read Music at Oxford before studying piano with Rolf Hind and Ronan O’Hora on the Master’s and Artist Diploma programmes at GSMD, where he received the Deputy Chair’s Prize and a Concert Recital Diploma. He has been a Britten Pears Young Artist, a Leeds Lieder Young Artist, and participated in the Ensemble Modern Young Ensemble Academy with Mad Song. David was a composer for the National Youth Orchestra and studied at the Junior RNCM. He has studied composition with Richard Barrett, Robert Saxton, and Matthew Sergeant.

David’s repertoire includes concertos by Berg, Finnissy, Stravinsky, and Xenakis, alongside major 20th-century works such as Boulez’s Second Sonata, Nono’s … sofferte onde serene …, and Murail’s Territoires d’oubli. He has performed on BBC Radio 3 on multiple occasions. Upcoming projects include solo piano commissions from Michael Finnissy and Thomas Metcalf, an album with Mad Song featuring music by Weir, Grisey, Metcalf, and Agobet, and a solo album featuring a commission by Robert Saxton.

Faculties / departments: Junior Department

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