David Palmer (b. 1997) is a London-based composer and pianist specialising in 20th- and 21st-century repertoire, with song at the centre of much of his collaborative work. Alongside his work as a performer, David teaches at the Royal College of Music Junior Department and the University of Oxford, where he is a College Lecturer in Music at Keble College.

David’s repertoire includes works written for him by Michael Finnissy, Robert Saxton and Tom Metcalf; concertos by Berg, Finnissy, Stravinsky and Xenakis; and major 20th-century solo works such as Boulez’s Second Sonata, Nono’s ….. sofferte onde serene …, and Murail’s Territoires d’oubli. He has performed at venues such as Wigmore Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, the Sheldonian Theatre and Stoller Hall. His performances have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s New Music Show and In Tune, and he has appeared at the BBC Proms and the Aldeburgh Festival.

David was a Britten Pears Young Artist and, with soprano Laura Coppinger, a Leeds Lieder and Song Easel Young Artist. With soprano Bridget Esler, he won the Prix de mélodie and Prix de lied, and the commissioned work prize at the Nadia and Lili Boulanger International Voice-Piano Competition.

David is a member of Mad Song, an ensemble of ‘expert young players’ (The Observer) who specialise in 20th- and 21st-century music. In 2024 they participated in the International Ensemble Modern Academy in Frankfurt where they played music by Grisey, Murail and Schoenberg. They recently recorded their debut album, supported by the Marchus Trust.

David read music at Worcester College, Oxford. He now teaches undergraduate modules in stylistic composition, keyboard skills, arranging, orchestration and composition at the University. He studied piano with Rolf Hind and Ronan O’Hora on the Master’s and Artist Diploma programmes at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he received the Deputy Chair’s Prize and a Concert Recital Diploma for exceptional performance, before continuing as a Junior Fellow. He has studied composition with Richard Barrett, Robert Saxton and Matthew Sergeant.

David’s debut solo album, Distant Horizons, will be released by Métier in November 2026, with support from the Laurence Modiano Charitable Trust and the Vaughan Williams Foundation.

 

[Updated: 8 August 2026] 

Photo 1: Andrew Mason Photography
Photo 2: Walter Vorjohann / Ensemble Modern