Meet Our Artistic Director

Artistic Director and Conductor David J. Fitzpatrick is known for his innovative programing, creative and strategic thinking, and a collaborative leadership style that has allowed him to grow flourishing programs with singers and instrumentalists from a variety of backgrounds. These skills, combined with over ten years of experience in conducting and arts administration, have laid a firm foundation in what is already a remarkable career.

 

Prior to his appointment with MCCO, David was Director of Music and the Arts at Doylestown Presbyterian Church for seven years. In this capacity, he conducted the 50-voice Chancel Choir, founded and conducted the 70-voice Bucks County Ecumenical Choir (which grew from 25 to 70 singers in three years), the DPC orchestra, two handbell choirs, and a middle school children’s choir. As the administrator of the program, David oversaw three staff members, a graded children’s choir and handbell program, the “Celebrate the Arts” performing and visual arts series, and the overall administrative needs of the program. Throughout his tenure, David sought opportunities to think creatively and to innovate fresh ways to bring music to new audiences. He added several new initiatives to the music program, including three new ensembles, additional annual concerts, and a children’s summer camp. David was also able to increase volunteer participation in these programs from 90 to 200 members, and he increased sponsorship for the Celebrate the Arts program by 70 percent.

 

From 2016-2019 David served as the Assistant Conductor of the Bucks County Choral Society, a 100-voice auditioned community choir. In this capacity, he assisted the artistic director with any artistic necessities, aided in the preparation of all concerts, and helped plan programming for each concert season. He was responsible for the direction of the chamber choir, the family Christmas concert, the Singing for Seniors program, and the Voices of the Future scholarship program. David has also served as the Assistant Director of Music at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, PA, and Director of Vocal Studies at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, NJ.

 

A strong advocate for commissioning and premiering new music and for performing lesser-known works, David created the DPC Commission Fund in 2014 at Doylestown Presbyterian Church. Through this fund, DPC was able to commission works by Tom Shelton, Dan Forrest, and Andrea Ramsey.

 

An experienced conductor in choral-orchestral works, David has conducted, prepared, and assisted in the preparation of numerous major works throughout his career, including Bach’s Magnificat, Berlioz’s Requiem, Faure’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Haydn’s The Creation, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Dvorak’s Te Deum, and more. Equally at home working with instrumental ensembles, David has also conducted works by Beethoven, Brahms, Copland, Haydn, Mozart, Saint-Saëns, and others.

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David is an honors graduate of both Westminster Choir College and The University of Arizona. He studied conducting with Dr. Bruce Chamberlain, Dr. Joseph Flummerfelt, Dr. James Jordan, Sun Min Lee, Dr. Andrew Megill, and Dr. Elizabeth Schauer.