David Tobin (26) is quickly developing a reputation as one of Ireland’s rising stars in classical music, having performed as a soloist in North America, Asia and all across Europe.
He made his debut as a soloist with orchestra when he was only 10 years old in Budapest and has since performed with many orchestras outside his home country, including Sinfonieorchester Aachen, Kourion Orchester Münster (Germany), Poltava Symphony Orchestra (Ukraine) and with the New York Concerti Sinfonietta in Carnegie Hall, where “he played with impeccable intonation and abundant virtuosity” and “his tone was reminiscent of the renowned David Oistrakh” (Epoch Times). He became the first prize-winner of the International Shining Stars Debuts competition to be invited back to perform in Carnegie Hall for a second performance, where he “manifested ecstatic Romantic fervor and ravishingly radiant tone”.
He has also performed concertos with Irish orchestras such as the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, Dublin Orchestral Players and DIT Symphony Orchestra, as well as Concerto Grossi with orchestras including the European Union Youth Orchestra, Young European Strings Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Cologne.
Born into a musical family in Dublin, David began playing violin at the age of 4. He is currently undertaking his Master’s degree in Germany at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz, Cologne, with Prof. Barnabas Kelemen. He completed his Bachelor’s degree with Prof. Michael Vaiman, a protégé of the great David Oistrakh, receiving the highest mark of 1.0. He is currently studying a Solo Master’s degree at the renowned University of Arts in Berlin.
David is also the most successful string player in the history of the Feis Ceoil, Ireland’s premier national competition, having won all junior and senior competitions. He has had lots of success in international competitions as well, winning prizes in Romania, Estonia, France and Ukraine. Bursaries won include the Young Musician Award (National Concert Hall), RTÉ Lyric FM Award (Feis Ceoil), Gold Award (ABRSM) and the Alan Gillespie Ulster Bank Award (Clandeboye Festival, N.Ireland), after a “slinkily idiomatic performance of Waxman’s dashing Carmen Fantasy which rightly drew shouts of approval” (Belfast Telegraph).
He has given solo recitals every year in the National Concert Hall (NCH) in Dublin since the age of 16 and has appeared as a soloist on both Irish radio and television. He also performed the world premiere of the Last Rose of Summer Fantaisie-Variations by William Vincent Wallace for violin and orchestra in the NCH Auditorium with the Orlando Chamber Orchestra, after the parts were reconstructed for him by leading Irish composer, Raymond Deane. He was invited to perform at Áras an Uachtaráin (House of the President) as a guest of former President Mary McAleese and has performed in the NCH in the presence of President Michael D. Higgins.
He has received masterclasses and lessons from world-leading professors including Mauricio Fuks, Petru Munteanu, Philippe Graffin, David Takeno, Lydia Mordkovitch, Elina Vähälä, Mateja Marinkovic, Alina Ibragimova, Sylvia Rosenberg, Catherine Cho, Ronald Copes, Ulf Wallin, Boris Belkin and Shlomo Mintz, as well as the Borodin, Danish and Doric String Quartets.
He has performed chamber music alongside Barnabas Kelemen, Maxim Rysanov, Barry Douglas, Antti Tikkanen, Alasdair Beatson, José Gallardo and Kian Soltani in festivals such as Festival Academy Budapest, West Cork Chamber Music Festival, International Chamber Music Festival Lisbon and Bolzano Festival Bozen.
David has been the leader of many orchestras, including the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, YES Chamber Orchestra, DIT Symphony Orchestra, Irish National Youth Ballet Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Cologne. He regularly performs across four continents with the European Union Youth Orchestra, John Wilson Orchestra and West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, with conductors Vasily Petrenko, John Wilson and Daniel Barenboim, at prestigious events including Salzburg Festival, Lucerne Festival and the BBC Proms.
