David Arnold started his music career as a leading player in one of the world’s top orchestras and has since built an international reputation for his versatility and all-round musical ability. He now concentrates on conducting, composing, arranging and producing, as well as acting as a music consultant for concerts and recording.

As a conductor, David has worked with a diverse range of artists in both classical and pop music – from Rod Stewart, Annie Lennox, Tina Turner, Randy Newman and Donny Osmond to Evelyn Glennie, Julian Lloyd Webber and Lesley Garrett. He has conducted leading orchestras around the world, including the Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, RTE National Symphony, BBC Concert and London Concert orchestras, as well as the Czech Symphony Orchestra and Opera North.

He has conducted concerts in many countries, including Japan, Sweden, Turkey, Russia, Italy, Greece and the Czech Republic. His orchestral recordings include Symphonic Rock, Pop Goes The Beatles, Christmas Classics, Showcase: The Musicals, Addicted To Movies and three volumes of the RPO’s Here Come The Classics series. He is associate conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and was music director for the Cathcart Proms at the Royal Albert Hall for many years. He has been Musical Director for the BBC’s Children In Need telethon since 1994.

Having written and arranged for radio and television for many years, David has built up a huge music library of arrangements, from classic greats and opera to musical and film scores. His hundreds of television credits include BBC One idents, Blue Peter, Guinness World Records, The Big Breakfast, Live and Kicking and Tomorrow’s World, On radio, he has produced station themes for BBC World Service, LBC, as well as Classic FM and countless other stations.

Born in 1951, David began studying percussion at the age of 12. After graduating from London’s Royal College Of Music on a foundation scholarship, he took a principal position with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and was also appointed music professor at the city’s Guildhall School Of Music. He received the ‘Red F’ award from Classic FM in 2002 for his outstanding contribution to classical music.