David Wallace

David Wallace (born in Kilkenny, Ireland, May 1982) is an Irish composer/conductor/instrumentalist/dancer.

He graduated from the Cork School of Music with a BMus (hons) in 2005 having studied composition with Séamas de Barra and Rhona Clarke and conducting with Alan Cutts and Geoffrey Spratt. During his undergraduate he also studied violin with Cornelia Zanidache and harp with Bonnie Shaljean. He was awarded an MMus from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2005/06) where he was Composition and Conducting Fellow for the academic year 2006/07. He studied composition with Richard Baker and Julian Philips. His works have been performed in Europe, America and Asia.

Wallace is renowned for his vocal music particularly song/lieder and has written many song cycles for international artists such as Norah King (Songs from the Rolling Deep) and Rebecca van den Berg (Trí Caoineadh and Tagore Love Songs). In 2006 he won the 10th Tracey Chadwell Memorial Prize for his song cycle Trí Caoineadh.

As a conductor Wallace has worked with Cork Symphony Orchestra, CSM Symphony, Fleischmann Choir, Dulwich Symphony Orchestra, Rolf Hind and Summer Music on the Shannon (University Concert Hall Limerick) and French Woods (New York) Festivals. He has worked as assistant conductor on the GSMD New Music Festivals 2006 and 2007 and with the GSMD New Music Ensemble in 2010. He is founder and artistic director of the CSM New Music Ensemble and gave the Irish premiere of the Aulis Sallinen Flute Concerto in April 2007. He has conducted dance premieres at The Place in London. He was tutor on the BMus in conducting in the CSM for the academic year 2006/07 and has worked as assistant tutor at GSMD, with Richard Baker, for a series of seminars on Conducting for Composers in 2007.

Wallace has enjoyed particular success in the area of chamber music and has received commissions from RTÉ Vanbrugh, Cork Orchestral Society, Cork Symphony Orchestra, CSM Sinfonietta, City of London Festival and Contrasts Trio. His quartets(2) have been premiered by the RTÉ Vanbrugh and his piano trio by The Syrius Piano Trio. His solo violin and orchestral work, commissioned by Cork Symphony Orchestra and Keith Pascoe, The Song of Cáer, was premiered in the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall in May 2008. His duo music has been performed across the UK and Ireland.

As a dancer Wallace has studied ballet, RAD and Vaganova, with Mary L Retief, Zina Mamedova, Olga Semenova, Renato Paroni and Jean Pascal. He has studied contemporary dance with Miranda Tufnell. In 2009 he was accepted on the MA in Dance Studies at Roehampton University where he studied with Stephanie Jordan and Andreé Grau. He has performed at Cork Opera House (Fame) and Everyman Palace Theatre Cork (A Chorus Line). He gives lectures in music and dance and as a pianist he has played for ballet classes and exams.