David Coleman conducts worldwide on the concert platform and in the theatre. He has appeared with many 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 performances. His recorded work reflects this range. He regularly discusses music, dance and their performance on a range of media outlets.
Having begun his career as repetiteur and conductor at the London Opera Centre, David Coleman went on to conduct Opera Galas and concerts in major British venues and international festivals. His appointment as Principal Guest Conductor of London Festival Ballet (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 several Nureyev films.
From these engagements and subsequently at the Opera de Paris, where he worked with a number of celebrated artist 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. There has also been a very close relationship with Semperoper Dresden and La Scala Milan and he now also returns to the Vienna State Opera in a new collaboration. In recent years he toured extensively in China, the Far East, the Middle East and Australia. On tour to Kuwait with La Scala 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 also composing and recording with them.
Maestro Coleman’s musical life continues as composer, writing for the concert platform, theatreand TV.
For the ballet, major works include:
Paris Opera: Paquita; new score created from Delvedez original writings.
Semperoper Dresden: Sleeping Beauty – Giselle, David Dawson; arranged and re-orchestrated after Adam – La Bayadere: after Minkus with new writing – Swan Lake; after Tchaikovsky.
Teatre du Capitole Toulouse: La Sylphide; arranged and rewritten – Le Corsaire; re-construction.
In addition, David Coleman has a collection of solo and ensemble pieces for dance performance.
David Coleman also has a wide ranging collection of compositions for solo instruments, chamber ensembles and orchestra for concert performance.
More recent recordings and performances include two string quartets – Giorno e Notte, premiered in Switzerland 2020, recorded by Accademia Quartet alla Scala Milan 2022 – Intrada piano trio – Flowers, A Fantasy for Solo Viola premiered Budapest and recorded in Autum 2022 – Amoroso Cantabile violin solo commission and premiere by the International Prosecco violin Competition Vittoria Veneto Italy – Kaleidoscope, a fantasy for orchestral brass composed for and dedicated to the Brass Ensemble of the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, premiered and recorded 2023 – Dancing Percussion, a suite for percussion ensemble, premiered and recorded Budapest 2024, performed and recorded La Scala Milan 2025 – Celebremus, for orchestra and chorus premiered and recorded Budapest 2025 – Aer et Aqua, commissioned by Accademia La Scala Milan, premiere 2026.
A selection of Maestro Coleman’s works can be shared on coleman.fm – Apple Classic – Spotify.
