David Upham is recognized as an outstanding conductor of a wide variety of ensembles, leading performances of diverse and varied repertoire hailed for their brilliance, warmth, and expression. He currently serves as the Music Director of the Great Bay Philharmonic Orchestra and the Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of New Hampshire, where he is also the founding Music Director of the UNH Youth Symphony Orchestra program.

Since his appointment as Music Director of the Great Bay Philharmonic Orchestra, the ensemble has grown in strength and quality, becoming a favorite of both audiences and orchestra musicians. David has worked with soloists such as pianist Mathilde Handelsman, violinist Simone Porter, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma in a sold-out performance of the Elgar Cello concerto.

Prior to his current appointments, David led a multi-faceted career as a conductor in the Seattle region. In his tenure as the Music Director of the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra, he invigorated the orchestra and audience members alike with his creative programming and accessible community outreach activities. He served as the Music Director of the Young Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra at the Seattle Conservatory of Music, and the Associate Conductor of the Rainier Symphony Orchestra. David has also led the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra (NH), the Northwest Mahler Festival Orchestra, and ballet performances with Ballet Bellevue and the International Ballet Theater companies in Seattle. He made his international debut in at the French contemporary music festival, Aujourd’hui musiques, leading works by György Ligeti, Christian Dachez, and Paul Evernden.

During his time at UNH, the orchestral program has grown through his efforts and from collaborations with the UNH choral, opera, and dance departments. Based on his personal research, the UNH Orchestra produced an album focused on the lesser-known orchestral works of Vaclav Nelhybel, available on many popular streaming platforms. This recording was accepted by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and deemed GrammyTM-eligible in 2023. David is the creator of performing editions for several of Nelhybel’s orchestral works, including the deeply moving Concerto for Clarinet, available for purchase from Star Music Publishing.

Passionate about training future generations of musicians, David has served on the faculty of a wide variety of summer music festivals, including UNH’s own Summer Youth Music School, for which he also serves as the overall Camp Director. He had a long tenure on the conducting staff of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras and led performances at the Marrowstone Music Festival as well. He conducted the New Hampshire All-State Orchestra in 2012 and is active throughout the country as a guest conductor and clinician. David is proud of his 10-year history as a public-school orchestra director and music educator.

David’s principal teachers have included Peter Erös, Dr. David MacKenzie, and Germán Gutiérrez. He has pursued additional conducting studies with great conducting pedagogues such as Marin Alsop, Jorma Panula, Giancarlo Andretta, Alexander Polishchuck, Gunther Schuller, Larry Rachleff, Don Thulean, John Farrer, and others. David’s education and career has led him to conduct orchestras across in the United States, Canada, and Europe. He holds degrees from Luther College (IA), the University of Northern Colorado, and the University of Washington.