Time Present/Time Past

David Rowden is an internationally recognised professional clarinettist based in Sydney. With a career spanning twenty years, David has performed in the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, South Korea, China, the USA, Australia, and New Zealand. David’s playing has attracted excellent reviews from the press: his performances have been described as displaying “superb technique and artistry” (Limelight Magazine, 2018), and as being “expressive, accurate and nuanced” (International Clarinet Association, 2016).

After studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London (2001-2005), David founded the Omega Ensemble, a leading Australian chamber music organisation that presents classical music for a contemporary Australia. David is currently artistic director of the organisation and over the past eighteen years has initiated the commissioning and performance of over sixty new works for the Ensemble by composers including: Nico Muhly, Christopher Cerrone, Caroline Shaw, Gabriel Prokofiev, Ross Edwards AM, Elena Kats-Chernin AM, Lou Bennett AM and Carl Vine AO.

In 2016, David was awarded an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) for his significant contribution to the music profession.

David’s career has included performing solo, chamber and orchestral repertoire in prestigious venues and festivals worldwide including the Sydney Opera House, City Recital Hall (Sydney), Castlemaine Festival (Victoria), Newcastle Art Gallery, the Melbourne Recital Centre as well as at Juilliard School of Music (New York), the Royal Albert Hall (London) and the Beijing Central Conservatory (China). David’s performances are featured regularly on ABC Classic radio station broadcast nationally.

In 2001, David was offered scholarships to study at the Royal Academy of Music, the Guildhall and the Royal College of Music. On completion of his degree at the Royal Academy of Music, David won the coveted Geoffrey Hawkes Prize for Clarinet Performance in 2004. David has studied with world-leading clarinet soloists and awarded scholarships to attend summer schools at the Longy School of Music, (Boston), Accademia Musicale Chigiana (Siena), Academie de Villecroze (France) and Pacific Music Festival (Japan).

David’s career as a solo performer and chamber artist has included collaborations with artists including William Barton (didgeridoo/composer) Emma Matthews (soprano), Paul Meyer (conductor/clarinet).

Recordings of David’s performances have included his debut album, Mozart – Munro – Palmer which was a collaboration with ABC Classic released internationally through Universal Music Australia. His second album with ABC Classic was recorded and released in 2019, Unexpected News, which was a collaboration with Internationally-renowned composer Nico Muhly and Omega Ensemble. In September 2020, David gave the Digital World Premiere of Gordon Kerry’s Clarinet Quintet on stage at the Sydney Opera House, broadcast live to a global audience.

Photo by Keith Saunders.​

Established in 2021, Richard Bonynge Ensemble aims to enrich the community through music. The ensemble performs a wide variety of repertoire, from well-known pieces to long-forgotten works deserving revival and new works by local emerging composers.

By blending the expertise of seasoned musicians and mentors with the fresh talent of young instrumentalists, the ensemble aims to cultivate a distinctive style and unique culture while nurturing the next generation of classical musicians.

Comprising some of Penrith’s finest young talents, Richard Bonynge Ensemble allows serious and skilled early-career musicians to work with industry professionals through workshops and mentoring sessions and collaborate with professional chamber ensembles to develop their performance and musicianship skills.

Photo by Eddy Summers.​