David Mitchell
Associate Principal Bassoon
Music Chair supported by:
John and Helen Keep
David Mitchell is currently the Associate Principal Bassoon in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Before joining QSO in 2009, he was Solo Bassoon in the Hofer Symphoniker, Germany, for five years. Additionally, David has been guest bassoonist with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Symphony Orchestra, Leipziger Kammerorchester, Georgian Chamber Orchestra Ingolstadt, Staatstheater am Gaertnerplatz Munich, Neue Philharmonie Westfalen and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.
David is one of the founding members of Ensemble Q, ensemble in residence at the Queensland Conservatorium led by artistic directors Paul Dean and Trish O’Brien. Previous chamber music ensembles include the Southern Cross Soloists, Lunair Collective and the Atrium Quintet, with numerous performances and tours throughout Australia and Germany. David also performs regularly in various ensembles within the QSO and Queensland Conservatorium. Solo performances include Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto with QSO and Strauss’ Duo Concertante with Hofer Symphoniker.
Born in Cairns, David studied Bassoon at the Sydney Conservatorium with John Cran, and participated in multiple masterclasses and performances at ANAM and AYO tours. He continued further studies in Germany at the Musik-Hochschulen in Weimar, Frankfurt and Cologne with David Petersen and Prof Georg Klütsch and participated in masterclass with Dag Jensen and Klaus Thunemann.
Sharing his passion for training and education, David is currently Lecturer in Bassoon at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and a regular tutor for the Australian Youth Orchestra and Queensland Youth Orchestras. He also runs a program of master classes and community programs for bassoon students of all ages and levels, as well as professional development for music teachers across Queensland.