Bio
David Brooks enjoys a busy musical life as a pianist, violinist, violist, composer, and teacher. A winner of several national and international competitions, he has performed across the United States and Europe. He has served on the faculties of the National Music Festival in Maryland, and at IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique) in Paris.
Especially committed to the performance of new music, David has taken part in the first performances of works by more than 100 composers. His own song cycle ‘First Steps’ was premiered in Bucharest, Romania, and his ‘Metamorphosis’ Variations premiered in New York. His opera ‘Urban Legend’ — based on the true story of a UFO sighting in small town Arkansas — was premiered in 2018.
In 2014, David joined the faculty of Wingate University in North Carolina, where he is an Associate Professor of Piano and Music Theory. At Wingate, he founded the new music group ensemble243, which performs experimental and extended-techniques-works. He previously taught at Adelphi University, and at the Pre-College Academy of Stony Brook University in New York.
David graduated from Western Washington University with double performance degrees in piano and viola, where he studied with Jeffrey Gilliam and Eric Kean. He studied with Robin McCabe at the University of Washington before completing his doctorate at Stony Brook University with Christina Dahl.
He plays an anonymous 1750 counterfeit of a 1691 Ruggieri violin passed down from his grandmother, and a 1995 Michael Watson viola. He will play whatever piano is put in front of him.
In his spare time, David enjoys studying architecture and interior design, making hand-crafted wooden furniture, recreating ancient scientific experiments, studying the psychology behind conspiracy theories, and drinking excellent coffee.
Repertoire
Sample Solo Recitals:
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Scarlatti: 3 Sonatas
Cage: 3 Sonatas for Prepared Piano
Beethoven: Sonata Op. 110 in A flat Major
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Mozart: Sonata K. 332 in F Major
Alkan: “Grande Sonata” Op. 33
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Rzewski: Piano Piece IV
Bach-Brooks: Partita No. 2 (transcribed and completed by D. Brooks)
Bach-Busoni Chaconne from Partita No. 2
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Mozart: Fantasy in C minor K. 475
Schumann: 3 Fantasiestucke Op. 111
Penderecki-Brooks: Cadenza (orig. for viola solo)
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Schubert-Liszt: Der Wanderer
Gretchen au Spinnrade
Erlkönig
Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy D. 760
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Liszt: 2 Late pieces
Sonata in b minor
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Ginastera: Suite de Danzas Criollas Op. 15
Beethoven: Sonata Op. 7 in E Flat Major
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Boulez: Douze Notations
Schumann: Faschingsschwank aus Wein Op. 26
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Debussy: Estampes
Ornstein: Poems of 1917
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Bach: Partita No. 1 in B flat Major BWV 825
Alkan: Symphony for Solo Piano Op. 39
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Haydn: Fantasy in C Major
Stevenson: Peter Grimes Fantasy
Szymanowski: Fantasy in C Op. 14
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Chopin: Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor
Janacek: Sonata 1.X.1905 “From the Streets”
Liebermann: Gargoyles Op. 29
Babadjanian: Poem for Piano
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Mozart: Rondo in A minor K. 511
Brooks: Escherisms - 3 Pieces for Piano
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Brahms: Sonata No. 3 in F minor Op. 5
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Concerti
(I’m always learning new pieces and adding to this list!)
Bartok: Concerto No. 3
Beethoven: Concerto No. 1 in C Major Op. 15
Concerto No. 3 in C minor Op. 37 (w/ Cadenza by C.V. Alkan)
Concerto No. 5 in E flat Major Op. 73 “Emperor”
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in d minor Op. 15
Brooks: Piano Concerto Fantasy on Themes from ‘Lulu’ (Berg)
Chance: Introduction and Capriccio
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Grieg: Concerto in A minor Op. 16
Haydn: Concerto in G Major Hob. XVIII: 4
Concerto in D Major Hob. XVIII: 11
Liebermann: Concerto No. 1
Liszt: Concerto No. 1 in E flat Major
Mendelssohn: Concerto No. 1 in G minor Op. 25
Mozart: Concerto K. 466 in D minor
Concerto K. 467 in C Major
Concerto K. 488 in A Major
Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2 in c minor Op. 18
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Op. 43
Ravel: Concerto in G Major
Rubinstein: Concerto No. 4 in D minor Op. 70
Shostakovich: Concerto No. 2 in F Major
Original Compositions
(Use contact form below to purchase scores)
The History of Numbers: for Prepared Piano - In Progress
Ritual: For Cello and Piano - In Progress
The Book of Love: 16 Songs for Male Voice and Piano - In Progress
Paraphrase on ‘Aladdin’ by A. Menken: For Solo Piano (~10’) - 2018
Urban Legend: Opera in Two Acts (~90’) - 2017
12 Strands: Quartet for Prepared Piano and Specially-Tuned Violin, Viola, and Cello (unfinished) - 2016
Dancing Alone: Suite for Solo Violin (~10’) - 2015
Escherisms: 3 Pieces for Prepared Piano (~20’) - 2014
First Steps: 8 Songs for Female Voice and Piano (~10’) - 2013
Metamorphosis Variations: Variations for Prepared Piano (~13’) - 2013
Paraphrase on ‘Erwartung’ by A. Schoenberg: For Solo Piano (~3’) - 2013
Tough Love: For Solo Clarinet (~1’) - 2013
Points on a Curve: For English Horn and Prepared Piano (~6”) - 2012
Chamber Concerto: For Prepared Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Flute(s), Clarinet(s), Trombone, Percussion (~14’) - 2012
‘Anna Nicole’ Fantasy: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (unfinished) - 2011
2 Ives Imitations: 2 Songs for Female Voice and Piano (~4’) - 2011
Domestic: Opera Scene for Soprano, Baritone, Children’s Chorus, and Piano Reduction (~20’) - 2010
Requiem for an Atheist: For Chamber Orchestra, Chorus, and Narrator (~25’) - 2010
String Quartet #2 ‘Poem’: (~10’) - 2010
Daliisms: 3 Pieces for Prepared Piano (unfinished) - 2010
Violin Sonata: For Violin and Piano (12’) - 2009
Piano Concerto ‘Lulu Fantasy’ (Berg): For Piano and Orchestra(~18’) - 2009
2 Elegies for Solo Piano (~4’) - 2007
Red: Song for Soprano and Piano (~3’) - 2006
Fantasy Sonata: Sonata in one movement for Solo Piano (~8’) - 2006
String Quartet #1(~15’) - 2005
Transcriptions:
Completion of Janacek’s Sonata 1.X.1905: For Solo Piano - In Progress
‘Pur ti miro’ by Monteverdi: For Solo Piano (~4’) - 2010
Hamelin ‘Circus Galop Lite!’: For piano solo (~2’) -2010
Cadenza for Viola Solo (Penderecki): For Solo Piano (~7’) - 2009
Varese ‘Density 21.5’ expansion with piano obligato - 2009
Completion of Busoni’s Partita #2 by Bach: For Solo Piano (~16’) - 2009
Schoenberg ‘Verklarte Nacht’ (5th movement) (~6’) - 2008
Shostakovich String quartet #9 (5th movement) (~10’) - 2008
Schubert String Quartet ‘Death and the Maiden’ (2nd movement) (~10’) - 2008
Symphony #25 (Mozart)1st movement: For Solo Piano (~5’) - 2007
Overture and Fate Scene (Don Giovanni, Mozart): For Solo Piano (~9’) - 2007
