At the age of eight, inspired by his older brother who was already playing the French Horn, Dave decided he wanted to take up the trombone. A few years later, he successfully auditioned for the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra, where he played until he went to music college.

After studying at the Royal Academy of Music with Bob Hughes, Dave spent ten years freelancing in and around London playing with most of the major symphony and opera orchestras in the country. Additionally, he worked on several West End shows including The Producers, Wicked and The Sound of Music. He has also done regular film soundtrack recording work including the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Batman franchises.

Dave cites the CBSO’s tour to Germany, Taiwan and Japan in 2013 as his highlight with the Orchestra to date. He still enjoys freelancing with other orchestras and playing on film music recording sessions outside of his work with the CBSO. Non-musical pursuits include snowboarding and scuba diving.