David McKay is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger, producer and educator who resides in Nashville, TN. His outstanding creative musical accomplishments have earned him international recognition in commercial, jazz, pop and classical music genres.
While studying composition at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, David's Piano Concerto won first prize in the BMI Awards to Student Composers in 1976. Soon after, his career jump-started as an educator, pianist, composer, arranger and producer. He taught theory-composition at the School for Creative and Performing Arts, then became staff arranger, composer and session keyboardist for Sound Images in 1980 and Jay Gilbert Productions in 1984. McKay's commercial work for radio, TV and documentary films is stylistically broad and diversified.
Audiences have celebrated David's collection of musical compositions and arrangements for over twenty years. He is an active performer, leader and founder of the smooth-jazz group, Quad Venti and the Dave McKay Trio. His Dorian Reel for Piano and Orchestra was premiered by The Nashville Choir and Nashville Symphony Orchestra at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in 2006. His concert music titles include String Quartet, Four Pieces for Viola and Piano, Christmas Worship Tapestry and Zamar, a ballet based on the seven Hebrew words for praise.
David's choral music is published by LifeWay, Word Music Now and St. James Music Press. In 2004, Four Pieces for Viola and Piano received a World Premiere at the McLean School of Music Wright Music Hall at Middle Tennessee State University
David McKay is a composer and arranger who has a dual passion for qualitatively new, novel and fresh prophetic sounds in music, and the tools of his trade— music recording and notation software. Visit his website at: www.davidmckaymusic.com for more information on David and his music.
Education:
M.M. Composition, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
B.M. Composition, Literature & Theory, Heidelberg College
A.Th., Florida Beacon Bible College (CLST)
Composition Teachers:
Lukas Foss, Paul Palombo, Norman Dinnerstein and John Rinehart
Seminars:
Aaron Copland, Witold Lutoslawski, Steven Scott Smalley (Film Music Institute)