David Joseph

After moving to Tasmania in 1970 he began studying classical guitar. The broad repertoire he encountered, especially Spanish music, stirred a wish to create and arrange his own works. Ian Cugley was then teaching in Hobart; at his guitar teacher’s suggestion David approached him and began composition study. A lasting love of repertoire, a habit of reading scores widely, and an ability to think orchestrally took root.

Orchestras had always fascinated him. Cugley, principal percussionist with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, secured an audience with chief conductor Vanco Cavdarski, who allowed David’s first orchestral piece a read-through – an invaluable experience that, whatever the work’s lasting worth, confirmed a career in music. Cugley urged study in Adelaide with Richard Meale. David went there in 1975 and enrolled at the University of Adelaide in 1976. Beyond analysis and recent scores (Boulez, Messiaen), the course taught him to think about music seriously and professionally. Debussy, Dukas and Messiaen proved lasting influences.

After Adelaide he travelled to Spain in 1982 on an Australia Council Fellowship. The experience was vital and prompted the orchestral Images. In Adelaide he had formed ties with the Adelaide Chamber Orchestra under John Russell and with its artistic director and principal conductor, the late Brenton Langbein. Those relationships brought numerous AdCO commissions and, through Langbein’s Swiss connections, work for Swiss ensembles, including The Haunting for the late conductor and philanthropist Dr Paul Sacher – the last of a triptych for small orchestra of which The Dream is the first, featured on David Joseph Selected Works, Vol. 1. Back in Melbourne in 1989, Spiros Rantos of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra introduced him to pianist Michael Kieran Harvey. The friendship yielded two piano concertos and an elaborately conceived Rhapsody for solo piano.

In 1992 he enrolled for an M.Mus at the University of Melbourne under Brenton Broadstock, whose support and friendship proved substantial. He received the degree in 1996, then served as composer-in-residence, teaching orchestration and composition – orchestration remaining one of his passions and a subject he has taught at several universities and colleges.

Since 2006 he has practised as a lawyer in regional Victoria across litigation, deceased estates, family property, land and criminal law, and has published articles on criminal law in the Law Institute Journal. He continues to compose and has also been involved in property development.