David Curtis is the founder and Artistic Director of Orchestra of the Swan, one of the most successful chamber orchestras in the UK. Under his leadership for over twenty years, Orchestra of the Swan now has an annual programme of over forty concerts, international touring and recording. Over the last two years the orchestra has performed in China Mexico, Turkey and the USA. David’s recordings with OOTS are frequently broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, USA and Canadian public radio and throughout Europe.

For the recent Shakespeare 400 celebrations David conducted the world premiere of Dobrinka Tabakova’s oratorio Immortal Shakespeare live for BBC Radio 3 and conducted for artists from the Royal Ballet in Shakespeare Lives!, which was broadcast live on BBC 2 and relayed to cinemas in the UK, Europe and the USA.

David was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the North Hungarian Symphony Orchestra from October 2016 and also conducts the Danubia Orchestra Óbuda in the same season. In December 2016 he returned to the Moores’ School of Music, Houston to teach and conduct and in February 2017 he conducted the American premiere of David Matthews’ Op 111 piano concerto in Carnegie Hall, New York.

David’s discography includes repertoire by Barber, Arnold Bax, Berlioz, Copland, Elgar, Finzi, Gershwin, Daren Hagen, John Ireland, Mahler, Mozart, Robert Saxton and Vaughan Williams for MSR Classics, Naxos, Signum Classics and Somm and the world première recording of the Robert Stark clarinet concertos with Dimitri Ashkenazy and the Hamburger Symphoniker.

David’s thought-provoking programming, infectious enthusiasm and refreshing interpretations have enabled him to develop an active international career, working in Belgium, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Sweden and the USA. He has worked with orchestras such as the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Prague Chamber Orchestra and Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. With the Moravská filharmonie Orchestra and Festival Chorus, he appeared in the prestigious Olomouc Dvořák Festival and the Policka Martinů Festival.

David champions new work and has commissioned and premiered at least 70 works by British, Bulgarian, Chinese, Nordic and American composers including Oscar i Bosch, Douglas Cuomo, Joe Cutler, Tansy Davies, Joseph Duddell, Daron Hagen, Peter Lieuwen, Paul Patterson, Joe Phibbs, Julian Philips, Dobrinka Tabakova, Param Vir, Andrew Waggoner, Errollyn Wallen, Shu Wang and John Woolrich.

For Icelandic Radio he conducted premieres by Snorri Sigfús Birgisson, Lars-Petter Hagen, Thuridur Jónsdottir and Marie Samuelsson in the Nordic Music Days Festival and gave the world premiere of a new work by Sampo Haapamäki with the Mikkeli City Orchestra.

David is passionate about the power of music to enrich and transform people’s lives, both on and off the concert platform. He has commissioned three operas for special schools, developed a 'relaxed' concert format for families with children who have autism, and pioneered programmes for people living with dementia, their families and carers.