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David Miller

Visiting staff - lute

Music

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Faculty of Music
King Charles Court
Old Royal Naval College
Greenwich
London
SE10 9JF

Tel: +44 (0)20 8305 4444

Email: d.miller@trinitylaban.ac.uk

David Miller

Biography

David Miller is a long established soloist and well known as an accompanist and continuo player on lute, theorbo and early guitars, flourishing in both the early music world and the mainstream musical scene. He performs and records with all the principal English period instrument orchestras and with many of the finest ensembles, performing at numerous prestigious European music festivals. David’s musical focus is as a soloist and accompanist. He maintains a busy recital schedule, enjoying collaborations with other solo artists, including singers Paul Agnew, James Bowman, Michael Chance, Charles Daniels, Grace Davidson, Emma Kirkby, Elin Manahan Thomas and Stephen Varcoe, harpist Frances Kelly, violinist Elizabeth Wallfisch, fellow lutenist Jacob Heringman and Arab singer and oud player Abdul Salam Kheir.

Creative Outputs

Since his appointment in 2003 as professor of early plucked instruments at Trinity Laban, David regularly directs performance projects for the Historical Performance Department. Critically acclaimed large scale projects include The Glory of San Marcofor the 2010 Royal Greenwich International Early Music Festival and in 2011, Miserere Mei, Deusat the beautiful St Mary-at-Hill Church, Billingsgate. He returns to the 2012 Royal Greenwich International Early Music Festival directing music for the court of Charles I with Trinity Laban Early Music Ensemble.

Among David’s numerous recordings are several CDs of English songs and lute music, including John Dowland discs with both James Bowman and Charles Daniels, as well as the complete works of John Danyel with Nigel Short. He has recorded a CD of consort music by Dowland with Concordia and the King’s Singers, and lute works by Francesco da Milano on Concordia’s Titian disc. As a member of I Fagiolini he included solo lute works by Holborne and Byrd on their acclaimed Triumphs of Orianna disc, as well as Pacoloni trios and other plucked consort music on Carnevale Veneziano. His 2009 Wigmore Hall recital with Iestyn Davies was released in 2010 in the Wigmore Hall Live CD series.

His solo disc with Elin Manahan Thomas – Ravish’d with Sacred Extasies – features devotional songs by Dowland, Campian, Humfrey and Purcell, as well as rarely heard lute and theorbo music by John Lawrence & John Wilson. The recording has been highly acclaimed and, within weeks of its release in August 2010, received the coveted Supersonic Award by Pizzicato Magazine in Luxembourg.

In addition, David has over 150 recordings as an accompanist and continuo player, and he can be heard on the soundtracks of Francesco da Mosto’s Venice, The Canterbury Tales, Bob the Builder, the Samuel Pepys Diaries serialised on Woman’s Hour, and – much to the delight of his family – Dr Who and Harry Potter!

External Appointments

David is professor of lute at the Guildhall School and tutor for the European Union Baroque Orchestra and the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Since the mid-1990s he has performed at Dartington International Summer School, where his highly regarded lute masterclass continues to inspire the younger generation of lutenists.