Gloria -Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris - Johan Sebastian Bach
from Mass in B minor, BWV 232 - for countertenor and ensemble
Arranged by Edoardo Dinelli
O Lord Whose Mercies Numberless - George Frideric Handel
from Saul - for countertenor and ensemble
Arranged by Edoardo Vella
Eight songs for a Drag Queen
for countertenor and ensemble
Girolamo Deraco, music and stage direction, John Palladino, lyrics
Septet in E-minor - Erzherzog Rudolph von Ősterreich
David Whitwell has built a reputation as a fierce and unabashed soloist. Maestro Tan Dun referred to him as “Miles Davis of the trombone”, Cadenza NYC said he “played with declamatory elegance”, The London Financial Times called him “a hairy, tattooed trombonist- naked but for a tight fitting pair of boxer shorts”, and Lucca in Diretta said of his Carnegie Hall solo debut “Whitwell himself sang and played changing roles in an instant, highlighting the high performance value and versatility of this refined musician. It is no coincidence that at the end of the concert the audience that crowded the hall stood up, decreeing a standing ovation at the address of this great American artist “. He has premiered numerous new works and arrangements for the solo trombone and has recorded &
performed as soloist with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra MAV (where he received a standing ovation for his performance of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto), the historic Milan based Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali, the Orchestra Now under Maestro Tan Dun, the MIVOS string quartet, the Manhattan School of Music Philharmonia and numerous others. Each year, David undertakes a solo tour of Europe, performing his own brand of narratively programmed recitals mixing virtuosic works with improv, storytelling, singing and passion. As an educator, he has given masterclasses at numerous conservatories throughout the US and Europe, including Manhattan School of Music, New York University, and the Carl Maria Von Weber Conservatory in Dresden.
As a recording artist David has performed on and produced several albums, including his own debut album “OK Trombone”, Rome Prize wining composer Nina Youngs self titled album with Ensemble Echapee, 3 albums as creative director of the Eco Music Big Band, 3 albums with German improv band Elastic Social Structures, as well as many trombone ensemble projects in NYC and the Netherlands.
David plays a customized Courtois AC420 with an extra valve conceived and constructed by J. Landress Brass in NYC. Several works have been written specially for the timbre and abilities of David and the double valve tenor trombone.
David holds two Bachelor’s degrees from the City University of New York, Brooklyn College and received his Master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music in 2014 under bass trombonist Dave Taylor. He was named a Britten–Pears Young Artist in 2013–14.