Dr. James M. David (b. 1978) is a leading American composer for winds and percussion who serves as professor of music theory and composition at Colorado State University. His symphonic works have been performed and recorded by many prominent ensembles including the U.S. Air Force Band, the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, the U.S. Army Field Band, the U.S. Navy Band, the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, the Showa Wind Symphony (Japan), the Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra, and the North Texas Wind Symphony. His music has been performed at more than eighty national and international conferences including the Midwest Clinic, the College Band Directors National Association Biennial Conference, the American Bandmasters Association Convention, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles Conference, the International Clarinet Fest, the International Trombone Festival, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the International Horn Symposium, and the World Saxophone Congress. Dr. David was the winner of the 2025 CBDNA Frederick Fennell Prize, the 2022 William D. Revelli Composition Contest, named a three-time finalist for the Sousa-ABA Ostwald Award, winner of the ACC James Croft Grant, winner of an ASCAP Morton Gould Award, and won national contests sponsored by the Music Teachers National Association and the National Association of Composers (USA). Commissions include projects for the National Band Association, the Atlantic Coast Conference Band Directors Association, Joseph Alessi (New York Philharmonic), John Bruce Yeh (Chicago Symphony), James Markey (Boston Symphony), and hundreds of university faculty and ensembles. His works are represented on over twenty commercially released recordings on the Naxos, Summit, Mark, Albany, Parma, MSR Classics, Bravo Music, GIA Windworks, and Luminescence labels and are published by Murphy Music Press, C. Alan Publications, Potenza Publishing, and Excelcia Music. He is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association and an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia National Music Fraternity.
As a native of southern Georgia, Dr. David began his musical training under his father Joe A. David, III, a renowned high school band director and professor of music education in the region. This lineage can be heard in his music through the strong influence of jazz and other Southern traditional music mixed with contemporary idioms. Dr. David received degrees in music education and music composition from the University of Georgia and the Florida State University College of Music. He studied composition with Guggenheim recipient Ladislav Kubik, Pulitzer recipient Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Lewis Nielson, and Clifton Callender as well as jazz composition and arranging with Sammy Nestico.
Signature Works:
Flying Jewels - Winner, 2022 NBA William D. Revelli Award, Commissioned by US Air Force Band Urban Light - Finalist, ABA Ostwald Award, Commissioned by the National Band Association Symphony No. 2 "The Road Is Life" - Winner, 2025 CBDNA Frederick Fennell Prize Ghosts of the Old Year - Finalist, ABA Ostwald Award and NBA Revelli Award With Soul Serene - Winner, 2018 NBA Merrill Jones Award; Finalist, ABA Ostwald Award