David Townsend is a soloist, educator and woodwind repair technician residing in Rochester, MN. He has served as Principal Clarinet of the Rochester Symphony & Chorale and as a restoration and repair specialist serving woodwind musicians nationwide for over 30 years. His concerto performances include works by W.A. Mozart, Carl Maria von Weber, Louis Spohr, Max Bruch, Franz Krommer, Karl Stamitz, Johann Melchior Molte and Aaron Copland. Also, Dr. Townsend is a founding member of the Rochester Chamber Music Society, which started in 2003. His quintet performances include the works of W.A. Mozart, Johannes Brahms, Max Reger, Anton Reicha and Paul Hindemith.
Dr. Townsend's education includes degrees from Indiana University, Michigan State University and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Arizona. He completed additional summer study in performance at Mozarteum University Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria. His teachers have included John Denman, Rudolf Jettel, Enrico Mainardi, Keith Stein, Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, Lawrence Maxey, Joseph Allard and Henry Gulick.
Dr. Townsend served three years as a clarinetist and recitalist with the United States Military Academy (USMA) Band in West Point, NY. He then taught instrumental music in the public schools in East Lansing, MI and was a studio teacher, chamber music coach and conductor at colleges in Minnesota, New Hampshire and Mississippi for nine years. While studying in Arizona, Dr. Townsend gave woodwind repair seminars at the University of Arizona. His career has afforded extensive experience as a performer with many diverse professional, college and civic chamber ensembles.
One of Dr. Townsend's pleasures is the crossover to the jazz idiom, where he covers the lead alto saxophone/clarinet book for the Generation II Big Band based in River Falls, WI. He also performs with Swing, Inc. (a regional jazz quartet), Two O'clock Jump (a regional blues quartet) and the Turkey River All Stars (a Dixieland jazz ensemble), and he has been on call with several regional show bands and orchestras since 1990. Dr. Townsend's instruments of choice are made by Yamaha.
