David Afkham is rapidly establishing a reputation as one of the most sought after conductors to emerge from Germany in recent years. In 2011 and 2012 his appearances include debuts with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Dresden, Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, RTÉ National Symphony of Ireland, German Chamber Philharmonic Bremen, NHK Symphony Tokyo as well as the Seattle and Houston Symphony Orchestras. He will also appear for return engagements with the Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Spanish National Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Residentie Orchestra, Gustav Mahler Jungendorchester, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Lausanne Chamber Orchestra.
David Afkham currently holds the post of Assistant Conductor with the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. In August 2010, he became the first recipient of the “Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award”. He was also the winner of the 2008 Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in London, resulting in him becoming the Assistant Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for two years.
Born 1983 in Freiburg, Germany, David Afkham received his first piano and violin lessons at the age of six. At 15, he entered his native city’s University of Music to pursue studies in piano, music theory and conducting. He won first prize in the solo-piano category of the 2002 “Jugend Musiziert“ German National Piano Competition. He then completed his conducting training at the Liszt School of Music in Weimar. David Afkham was the first recipient of the “Bernard Haitink Fund for Young Talent”, is a conducting fellow of the “Richard Wagner Association” Bayreuth and a member of the “Conductor’s Forum” of the German Music Council.
