Mr David Montgomery

David has been Principal Percussion of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra since 1994 and a member of the Australian World Orchestra since 2011.  He has worked with many of the nations leading orchestras and manages his time between performing, composing and teaching.

As a composer, he has been commissioned by Opera Queensland, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Isorhythmos and ABC Radio National. David has also worked as a sound designer and composer for the Queensland Theatre Company and La Boite Theatre on productions such as A Streetcar Named Desire, Heroes and Walking By Apple Tree Creek. His most recent work Fergal Onions, music to the children’s story of the same name by Australian author/illustrator John Harrison, was performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 2017.

David has a keen interest in percussion teaching and pedagogy. In 2013 he completed work on a new percussion syllabus for the Australian Music Examinations Board. He was a finalist in the category of Award for Excellence by an Individual in the 2014 APRA Art Music Awards for this work.

David is the Artistic Director of Isorhythmos percussion ensemble and editor of Isorhythmos Publications. The ensemble comes together on a project by project basis and will be touring regionally in Queensland in 2018 to Longreach and Mount Isa.

David taught at the Queensland Conservatorium between 1998 and 2012. He has also been a guest teacher at the Australian National Academy of Music. He is an active and passionate educator and works regularly within the school environment conducting workshops and participating in performance programs. In 2018 he will run a percussion-based music education project in regional queensland involving around 350 students from the Longreach area.  

Combining his experience as a composer, performer and teacher, David continues to work on developing concepts for the learning and teaching of percussion from beginner to professional performer.