David Howell : Associate Artist
David Howell is a Melbourne-based composer and performer whose
work challenges and reimagines the boundaries between opera,
musical theatre, and cabaret.
David holds a Bachelor of Music with Honours from the University
of Western Australia, where he studied composition with Roger
Smalley, Lindsay Vickery and Iain Grandage, and French horn with
Darryl Poulsen. He later earned a Master of Music in Composition
from the University of Melbourne, studying under Stuart
Greenbaum.
He is a co-founder of BegOpCoOp, a community-focused opera
collective committed to presenting original and contemporary
works that enrich Melbourne's dynamic musical culture.
In collaboration with lyricist Dan Christie, David has created an
extensive and eclectic repertoire, including the chamber opera
Seduction and Demise in East Berlin, Confessions of a Pantomime
Horse, Songs of the Sea, Into the Night, Before the Sun: Songs of
Travel, Into the Archive, and their latest work, Seven Variations
of Light.
His contributions to independent theatre span roles as composer,
performer, and musical director. Notable theatrical scores
include The Trial of Adolf Eichmann (2011), The Crucible (2010),
and 1984 (2009) for Eagles Nest Theatre, as well as Down in the
Dirt from Duets for Actor and Musicians (2010) for A is for
Atlas.
Beyond theatre, David has composed for several leading Australian
ensembles. His works include Tribal Dance (2005) for the
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Apocalypse (2011) for the Astra
Chamber Music Society, Acid Rain (2003) for the Song Company,
Song of Family Betrayal (2014) for Orkeztra Glasso Bashalde,
Hodie and Christmas Fanfares (2005) for the Royal Melbourne
Philharmonic, Platypus (2005) for the Australian Children's
Choir, and At the End of the Stars (2004) for the Melbourne
University Choral Society.
In 2024 David released the album Songs of the Sea, a song cycle
exploring mythology and stories based on the sea.
He currently serves as Publications Manager at the AMEB Federal
Office, where his works are featured across multiple syllabuses,
including Trumpet, Horn, Violin, Piano, and Percussion. David
continues to perform regularly as a horn player with the Inner
West Symphony Orchestra.
Biography provided by the composer — current to August 2025