Biography

David John Lang is an Australian composer living in Adelaide. He writes music for orchestras, choirs, singers and instrumentalists, creating art that is inventive, thoughtful and heartfelt. His compositions often tell a story, drawing on his love of nature, his Christian faith, and a whimsical sense of humour.

David’s music has been performed around Australia, in the USA, Canada and Germany. Commissioners of David’s music have included the Adelaide and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, Adelaide Youth Orchestras, Benaud Trio, Recitals Australia, and the Adelaide Chamber Singers. Recent projects include Kaurna Yarta: The Seasons (with Bowerbird Collective, Jamie Goldsmith, and Taikurtinna Dance), a fanfare for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and an album of musical portraits for piano. He’s currently working on Mark Illuminated, composing music to go with a reading of the entire Gospel of Mark.

photo: Mary-Ellen Lang

photo: Mary-Ellen Lang

David was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Music Composition in 2019 from Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music. His topic was the storytelling potential of variation form in instrumental music, and his mentors included Graeme Koehne, Anne Cawrse, David Harris, John Polglase, and Charles Bodman Rae. In 2016, David spent several weeks in Alaska on a Composing in the Wilderness course, and in 2012 he attended the Atlantic Music Festival in Maine.

David is also an experienced writer and performer. He has written concert program notes for many venues and ensembles, including Elder Hall and the Australian String Quartet. He has conducted concerts with the Adelaide Wind Orchestra and Unley Concert Band. For several years he performed on keyboard, trumpet, and vocals with the aptly-named Music is Fun Band, sharing the joy of music with primary school children all over South Australia.

David isn’t just a musician; he also enjoys bushwalking, reading, and eating good chocolate.

photo: Mary-Ellen Lang