Conductor, Repetiteur & Vocal Coach David Eaton CONTACT: EMAIL & WEBSITE

David Eaton is a young British Conductor, Repetiteur and Vocal Coach. He began playing the piano and organ at the age of nine studying under John Norris and Geoffrey Molyneux. He was active as a theatre organist from a very early age, and won the American Theatre Organist's Association's Young Organist of the Year competition at the age of 10. He also won first prize in all local music festivals before taking his grade 8 piano and organ at the age of 12.

Before taking up a place to study at London's Royal College of Music, he had performed across the country and had already reached the regional finals of the BBC's Young Musician of the Year competition. He also performed in a special gala concert in honour of London's then Lord Mayor.

At the College, David studied piano under Yonty Solomon and organ under Margaret Phillips. He became in great demand as an orchestral pianist and has worked under some of the world's top conductors, including Pierre Boulez, Sir Colin Davis and Simon Bainbridge. He was lucky to give many world premières whilst at the college, airing compositions by leading British composers, such as Julian Anderson, for the first time. His performances of Maw's Ghost Dances and Anton Webern's piano concerto were described as 'outstandingly inciteful playing'.

It was at the College that David first became interested in conducting. He joined the conducting classes of Edwin Roxburgh as a pianist on a series of seminars about the 'Rite of Spring'. Being an organist, David had been conducting choirs since the age of 14 and served as organ scholar under Ann-Elise Smoot and Jeremy Summerly at St. Lukes and Christ Church Chelsea. He also worked with Oxford Pro Musica and the Oxford Camerata. Whilst at the RCM, David enhanced his orchestral knowledge through the guidance of Edwin Roxburgh and Neil Thompson. On leaving the College, he formed his own orchestra - OperAnima - who perform almost exclusively 20th century music and have recently performed repertoire such as Schoenberg's Verklarte Nacht and Adam's Shaker Loops.

David is also a repetiteur and has worked across the country on a wide range of repertoire. He recently worked on European Opera Centre's production of Britten's 'The Turn of the Screw' and is about to start his second season with British Youth Opera, with whom he works regularly. He has long term associations with many smaller opera companies, including Sevenoak's Opera who have recently finished an acclaimed performance of Puccini's 'Madame Butterfly'. David's repetiteur duties also lead him into the world of vocal coaching and he has taught at the BRIT school and Millenium Music Theatre School. Many of his students have gone on to professional West-End employment.

David is also very keen on musical theatre, and has directed shows across the country from the trite delights of 'Annie' to the darker comedy of Sondheim's 'Into the Woods'. OperAnima double as a superb show band and have recieved glowing reviews under David's direction.