David Ponsford
Dr David Ponsford has a varied career as a harpsichordist, organist, musicologist and conductor and is a recognised authority on keyboard music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Following the publication of his book ‘French Organ Music in the Reign of Louis XIV’ (recently published in paperback), he has been engaged in recording a series of CDs for Nimbus Records of French Baroque organ repertoire on historic French instruments, of which the first four, of Couperin, Du Mage, Clérambault and Nivers, have now been released. David recently recorded the Livre d’orgue of Nicolas de Grigny at Sarlat Cathedral (to be released on 2nd June), and is completing a new edition of de Grigny for Ut Orpheus of Bologna.
A graduate of Cambridge University, he studied with Professor Peter Williams for his PhD in French Baroque organ music and was fortunate to study the harpsichord with Kenneth Gilbert and Gustav Leonhardt, and organ with Peter Hurford, Lionel Rogg and Piet Kee. His first appointment was as Assistant Organist of Wells Cathedral and he is currently Associate Lecturer at Cardiff University in addition to his freelance career.
He owns a collection of harpsichords on which he has made many recordings, both in solo and chamber music repertoires. With Jacqueline Ross he recorded the complete Bach violin sonatas for ASV and with Alan Davis he recorded the complete Handel recorder sonatas for Guild. His edition of Biber’s Mystery Sonatas was published by Ut Orpheus, Bologna.
Recently, David has given concerts in Singapore, Poland, India, New York and Montreal in addition to the UK, where he is in continual demand as a recitalist, lecturer and teacher.