David Squire

David Squire is one of New Zealand’s most prominent choral clinicians. A founding member of the newly-formed New Zealand Association of Choral Directors, he is also a national conducting mentor for this organisation.
David completed his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Auckland, with an emphasis on conducting and composition. He studied singing with Isabel Cunningham, Glenese Blake and Beatrice Webster, and conducting with Karen Grylls and Juan Matteucci. He has sung with many top choirs in New Zealand, including the Dorians, Auckland University Singers and the New Zealand Youth Choir. He was also a founding member of Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and the V8 Vocal Ensemble.
David has taught music in high schools for more than 20 years, directing orchestras, concert bands, choirs and jazz bands, including many groups that have won local, national and international awards. His mixed-voice chamber choir from Rangitoto College, The Fundamentals, won the platinum award at the 2008 Big Sing Finale in Wellington – the first time a mixed-voice choir achieved this. He also directs the Westlake Symphony Orchestra, which has won a gold award at every KBB Music Festival for more than the last decade, and also won every award for the best orchestral performance of a New Zealand work since its inception. As a freelance itinerant teacher, David teaches in four North Shore high schools and also takes workshops and professional development courses throughout the country.
David was the founding musical director of the Auckland Youth Big Band, assistant musical director of the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir, chairman and administrator of the KBB Music Festival, and a live performance reviewer for Radio NZ Concert. He is often involved in session and recording work, particularly as a conductor and singer, including a tour with George Benson as backing vocalist in 2010. He has been the choral adjudicator and clinician at the Rhapsody Rotorua festival for the past two years. He presented two workshops at the 2009 Sing Aotearoa Festival, and also at the 2010 International Summer School of Choral Conducting, where he was a mentor and tutor.
David is currently undertaking post-graduate study in choral conducting with Karen Grylls.
In March this year he was awarded a New Zealander of the Year Local Heroes Medal for services to music education.