DAVID DRUMMOND has conducted opera for English National Opera, Gothenburg Opera, Scottish Opera and for Kharkov Opera in Ukraine where he conducted Boris Godunov. Orchestras he has worked with include the London Mozart Players, Kharkov Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Brandenburg Sinfonia and the BBC Concert Orchestra, with whom he recorded the BBC’s “Olympics 2000” music. As Director of Music & Opera at University College, London from 1991–2001 he conducted the world première of Cesar Franck’s Hulda and three further British premières, including Aulis Sallinen’s Kullervo.

He has been Chorus Master at both Scottish Opera and ENO, has worked with choirs throughout Britain and adjudicated for the BBC Radio 3 “Choir of the Year” Competition. He has presented children’s concerts in the UK and Sweden and has staged several special opera productions with mentally handicapped adults. He was a professor on the coaching staff at both the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music from 1995 until 2013.

From 1996-2013 he was Musical Director of the London Oriana Choir whom he has conducted in all of London’s major venues, including the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Albert Hall and at the Barbican, including an acclaimed Elijah there with Sir Thomas Allen in the title role and the Dream of Gerontius with the London Mozart Players. Among the choir’s CDs are two world premiere oratorio recordings: Everyman by Walford Davies, and Odysseus by Armstrong-Gibbs.  Other highlights with the choir have been Star Wars in the O2; Hampton Court Palace in a concert event for Mikhail Gorbachev; a packed Royal Festival Hall for The Messiah and a premiere of Adrian Snell’s anti-war, rock oratorio “The Cry – A Requiem for the Lost Child” in St. Paul’s Cathedral.  Arranged specially by David, this work raised £30,000 on the door for Save the Children and received its USA premiere in November 2012. 

David’s choral arrangements have been commissioned by songwriters such as Beth Nielsen Chapman and rock legend Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin with whom he has performed at both Abbey Road and at The Roundhouse for the BBC Electric Proms. A CD of David Drummond’s Christmas carol arrangements was released in 2012.

In 2013 his family moved to California for two years, but they decided to stay. Since then he has conducted, amongst others, performances of Rigoletto, La Bohème, La Belle Hélène, Lucia Borgia, La Rondine, Merry Widow & Albert Herring for Pocket Opera and Pirates of Penzance & Iolanthe for Lamplighters. In addition, he has been invited to work with many local amateur organisations, including Blackhawk Chorus, Diablo Symphony Orchestra, Chromatica, San Ramon Valley Choir, Diablo Choral Artists and has directed the musicals Spelling Bee & Thoroughly Modern Millie for Curtains Up Youth Theatre & Spotless by Jill Enders. 

He continues to work as a conductor, vocal coach and arranger in the San Francisco Bay Area.