David Coleman
Conductor, Composer, Musician
Biography
David Coleman conducts worldwide on the concert platform and in the theatre. He has appeared with nearly all of the major British orchestras and around the world with leading opera house and concert orchestras. He performs in an extensive repertoire of opera, symphonic, chamber and choral concerts and in classical and modern ballet productions. He passionately promotes new music, winning prestigious awards for innovative programming and performance. His recorded work reflects this range. He regularly appears on radio and television discussing music, dance and their performance.
Having begun his career as repetiteur and conductor at the London Opera Centre, David Coleman went on to conduct opera galas and concerts in the major British venues and to appear in international music festivals. His appointment as Principal Guest Conductor of London Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet) marked the beginning of his great appreciation of this art form, in which his work is so celebrated.
Rudolf Nureyev appointed David Coleman as Musical Director of his own company Rudolf Nureyev and Friends. They had a long and close association and he is a renowned exponent of Nureyev’s productions. He travelled widely with him, conducted most of the London Nureyev Festivals, premiered several of his major choreographies and recorded the music for several Nureyev films.
From these engagements and subsequently at the Opera de Paris, where he worked with a number of celebrated artists from this period, David Coleman gained extensive experience in the performance of the entire canon of the Ballet Russes.
Among the many principal European Houses he works with, there have been special associations with Opera de Paris, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opera National de Bordeaux, Theatre du Capitole Toulouse, Teatro San Carlo Napoli and Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. In particular , there is a very close relation over many years with Semperoper Dresden and La Scala Milan.
In recent years he toured extensively in China, the Far East, the Middle East and Australia. It was on tour to Kuwait with La Scala in January 2020, that David Coleman enjoyed his first collaboration with the orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera. He is now a regular guest conductor at Budapest and is composing and recording with them.
Maestro Coleman’s musical life continues as composer and he writes for the concert platform, theatre and TV.
Major works in the Ballet repertoire include:
Paris Opera Paquita (2000) : new score created from Delvedez original writings.
Semperoper Dresden Sleeping Beauty (2007)
Giselle – David Dawson (2008) : arranged and re-orchestrated after Adam
La Bayadere (2008) : after Minkus with new writing.
Swan Lake (2009) : after Tchaikovsky
Theatre du Capitole Toulouse La Sylphide (2011) : arranged and re-written
Le Corsaire (2013) : reconstruction.
The French publisher BMB Paris (Marios Bois Editions) holds a catalogue of a number of David Coleman’s works.
In addition he has a collection of solo and ensemble dance pieces and also works for solo instruments, chamber ensembles and orchestra, for concert performance.
Upcoming performances
Conductor: David Coleman
PROGRAMME:
(Translated from Hungarian)
The English 100 thematic season of the Hungarian State Opera is strengthened by two thematic concerts, the earlier one, Télvíz, is the English bouquet, which looks at three centuries of England.
Britten’s tribute immediately before Purcell creates the bridge that can span over a really relatively uneventful two hundred and fifty years in British music. Edward Elgar‘s Cello Concerto is a late work and was created during Benjamin Britten’s lifetime.
Gustav Holst‘s orchestral suite entitled Planets was created around the time of Britten’s birth, but like Elgar’s concerto, it also has its roots in the 19th century.
The soloist of the latter is the multiple competition-winning Colombian horn player, Santiago Cañón-Valencia, who is praised by international critics for his flawless technique and perfect interpretation of the composer’s intention.
The three iconic British pieces are conducted by English conductor David Coleman, who is also a well-recognized conductor in OPERA’s ballet ensemble and orchestra following his productions in recent years.
B. Britten: Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Henry Purcell
E. Elgar: Cello Concerto
G. Holst: The Planets
Featuring: Santiago Cañón-Valencia (cello) and the Orchestra and Choir of the Hungarian State Opera
Conductor: David Coleman
Recently Completed Performances
Conductor: David Coleman
E. T. A.Hoffmann is widely associated with The Nutcracker while fewer know that the story of Coppelia is based on his short story, The Sandman (Der Sandmann). The author, known to be a polymath himself, also designed various machines and automatons, and he was perfectly aware how easy it is to fall in love with your own creation. A ballet version of Coppelia was first premiered in Hungary in 1877, later it was adapted by Gyula Harangozó, in 1953. More than seventy years afterwards, on the fiftieth anniversary of the choreographer’s death, the production returns to the Hungarian National Ballet’s repertoire to prove that classical ballet, pantomime, and magic tricks can co-exist just as perfectly as Léo Delibes’ late romantic music and the Hungarian czardas.
Composer: David Coleman
Performed By: Percussion Ensemble of the Hungarian State Opera orchestra, to whom this work is dedicated.
Photo Credit: Valter Berecz
Dancing Percussion is an extravaganza for percussion ensemble created by conductor composer David Coleman.
Seven elite percussionists will be on stage with an eclectic array of well known and more unusual instruments.
The snare drum leads out and is quickly joined by bass and tenor drums, the majestic congas, and diminutive bongos. Glockenspiel and Xylophone dance with big brother Vibraphone which is played with beaters and also exotically with the bow of the double bass.
Hear the contributions from the triangle, tubular bells, Indian bells and wind chimes, maracas , castanets, temple blocks, even a whistle stars and of course the cymbals, all reaching a glorious climax with a jazzer’s full drum kit.
Dancing Percussion is a composition in five movements :
Procession – From quiet taps on the snare drum, the big drums gradually join the procession.
Bells – An ethereal soundscape.
Rumba – A full-blooded dance with the spotlight on Vibraphone and Xylophone.
Scherzo – A playful skittish fast moving ’joke’.
Uneven Dance – In 5 time, both composed and improvised. The driving jazz rhythms from the drum kit and finally the full ensemble piling in to make a joyous conclusion.
Dancing Percussion has its first performance and recording on stage at the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest on Friday 28th June 2024 performed by The Percussion Ensemble of the Hungarian State Opera orchestra, to whom this work is dedicated.
Currently it is also in rehearsal at the Accademia of La Scala in Milan.
Composer: David Coleman
Performed By: Veronika Botos
Photo Credit: Boglárka Nagy
In addition to the premier and recording of Dancing Percussion at the Hungarian State Opera today, Maestro Coleman’s viola fantasy Flowers will be played at an invitation only concert in Budapest, by the artist to whom it is dedicated, Veronika Botos.
Students of the Teatro alla Scala Academy's Ballet School
Teatro alla Scala Academy's Orchestra
Once again this year the young Ballet School students become acquainted with the great masters of the classical, modern and contemporary repertoires. To these aspiring young artists, dancing at the Teatro alla Scala means something more than simply putting their technical and interpretive skills to the test: it means having an educational and professional experience of the highest level on a much dreamed-of stage.
Conductor: David Coleman
Guest Artists:
MARIANELA NUÑEZ
OLGA SMIRNOVA
ROBERTO BOLLE
VADIM MUNTAGIROV
JACOPO TISSI
Étoile: NICOLETTA MANNI
The tribute by La Scala and its artists to Carla Fracci, who was and remains a cardinal figure in the history of dance, continues in the 2023-2024 Season. Hers is a story of talent, perseverance, and work that has inspired and continues to inspire generations of young people, and not only in the world of ballet.
To honour this legendary étoile, the Ballet Director Manuel Legris has instituted a seasonal gala to celebrate international dance and ballet in her name, and to look beyond the milestones in the repertoire to new and contemporary creativity.
4-6 pm for the guided tour.
Finishing session to be held in the Kodály hall, where you can see the exhibition of painter Imre Szakács Led by art philosopher Endre Sipos.
Contributor: Violist Veronika Botos
Address:
Hungarian Scientic Academy
Budapest 1051
Széchenyi tér 9.
“Kodály”-room
This free event requires registration. We will accept your application until January 12, 2024
You can also register your participation at [email protected]
Szilvia Bíró
ACADEMIC CLUB ASSOCIATION
1051 Budapest, Nádor utca 7.
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (+36-30) 861 0341
The Academy presents the ADA – ACCADEMIA DIGIT-ART project “A Digital Archive for Culture and School,” which involves the recovery and archiving of the Scala school’s rich multimedia heritage.
Each week on the Academy’s YouTube channel it will be possible to enjoy some unreleased content spanning ballet, symphony, opera.
We are now at the fifth episode: starring the students of the Academy’s Orchestra, who we see perform an unpublished piece by David Coleman, “Giorno e Notte” for string quartet.
View more on the Accademia Teatro all Scala YouTube channel.
The project is co-funded by Fondazione Cariplo.
Published May 2024
Dancing Percussion – an extravaganza for percussion ensemble created by conductor composer David Coleman.
Seven elite percussionists on stage with an eclectic array of well known and more unusual instruments.
The snare drum leads out and is quickly joined by bass and tenor drums, the majestic congas, and diminutive bongos.
Glockenspiel and Xylophone dance with big brother Vibraphone which is played with beaters and also exotically with the bow of the double bass.
Hear the contributions from the triangle, tubular bells, Indian bells and wind chimes, maracas , castanets, temple blocks, even a whistle stars and of course the cymbals, all reaching a glorious climax with a jazzer’s full drum kit.
Dancing Percussion is a composition in five movements :
Procession – from quiet taps on the snare drum, the big drums gradually join the procession.
Bells – an ethereal soundscape.
Rumba – a full-blooded dance with the spotlight on Vibraphone and Xylophone.
Scherzo – a playful skittish fast moving ’joke’
Uneven Dance – in 5 time, both composed and improvised. The driving jazz rhythms from the drum kit and finally the full ensemble piling in to make a joyous conclusion.
Dancing Percussion was first performed and recorded on stage at the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest on Friday 28th June 2024, performed by the Percussion Ensemble of the Opera orchestra.
Recent releases
Recent Media
January 2024
Hungarian State Opera, (Budapest, Hungary)
Anyegin orchestra rehearsal
“The music and the joint work with the OPERA Orchestra is analysed by David Coleman, the ballet’s world-renowned conductor from the UK, who also talks about how the conducting allows for a unique approach, and in his opinion, the underlining of the work, which is rich in dance and acting, is not just a ballet, but it also evokes the feeling of a concert, all at the same time.” (Translated)
Magyar Állami Operaház /
Hungarian State Opera YouTube
August 2023
33rd International Violin Competition “Città di Vittorio Veneto”, (Vittorio Veneto, Italy)
The Vittorio Veneto Violin Competition “City of Vittorio Veneto” International Prosecco DOC Prize concluded with the final concert at the Lorenzo Da Ponte Theater on Sunday, August 27th.
It was held in the presence of the orchestra formed by “Gli Archi della Scala” and musicians from the RAI Symphony Orchestra, conducted for this special occasion by Maestro David Coleman from London.
The event was attended in person and streamed live on Facebook and Youtube, where it is also possible to rewatch the competition stages.
June 2023
Hungarian State Opera, (Budapest, Hungary)
Custom Composition: Kaleidoscope
“Let’s continue with a world-famous conductor, the Englishman David Coleman, who invited members of the OPERA Orchestra to play a piece written by him.
We show how the recording took place in the Ferenc Fricsay Studio of the Eiffel Workshop, while the maestro and the artists of the orchestra talk about the piece. (Translated
Magyar Állami Operaház /
Hungarian State Opera YouTube
December 2020
Teatro alla Scala, (Milan, Italy)
Le Spectre de la rose.
“A young girl dreams of dancing with the spirit of a souvenir rose from her first ball.
Rudolf Nureyev / Mikhail Fokine / Carl Maria von Weber, Le Spectre de la rose.
Manuel Legris: Ballet master
Orchestra del Teatro Alla Scala
David Coleman: Conductor
Ballet recorded at Teatro alla Scala (Milan, Italy), on December 25, 2020.”
May 2019
Semperoper Dresden, (Dresden, Germany)
Orchestra: Staatskapelle Dresden
Swan Lake
“World premiere in 1877 in Moscow Created for the Semperoper Ballett in 2009”