David Downes (Irish composer)

David Downes ( born 1975 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish composer, pianist, producer and music director. Downes is co-founder and musical director of the Irish group Celtic Woman.

Career

Downes graduated from Trinity College, Dublin where he studied music and composition.

He played at performances in the Boston Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall and Wembley Arena, together with artists and orchestras such as James Galway and Alan Stivell, the group Boyzone, and the Washington Symphony, Moravian Philharmonic, Hollywood Studio Symphony and the National Symphony.

Downes took CDs, featuring Moya Brennan, Clannad, Michael Crawford, Michael W. Smith and Bill Whelan. As an orchestrator, he worked for Riverdance on Broadway and Secret Garden.

He served as music director on Broadway in Riverdance and for the American and European tour with the show. Later, he and Sharon Browne Celtic Woman founded.

Downes was music director at the inauguration of the Irish President Mary McAleese in 2004. He also played for the U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Musikgrafie

Songs

Downes has written many songs for himself as Celtic Woman. Among other things, The Soft Goodbye, Send Me a Song, One World, The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun, At the Céili, Sing Out! , Granuaile 's Dance, The Lost Rose Fantasia, The Blessing, The Call, Green the Whole Year Round, Walking The Night and Tabhair Dom Do Lamh. The lyricist, who cooperated in the songs were mainly Caitríona Ní Dhúill, Barry McCrea, Shay Healy and Brendan Graham.

Television, film and theater

He produced the opening and closing song and the chorus singing for the Disney film Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure.

Work with other artists

In 2007, Downes took with former Celtic Woman member Hayley Westenra The Last Rose of Summer for her album Treasure on. The song was another member of Celtic Woman as a duet with Westenra and Méav Ní Mhaolchatha.

Awards

Celtic Woman albums have platinum status in several countries, the DVDs of their concerts multi-platinum. Great popularity they have in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany, France, Austria and South Africa.

In 2010, Downes was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Direction for a televised musical event. Other nominations were The Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies ( won the EMMY ), In Concert at the White House, The Kennedy Center honors, and Andrea Bocelli and David Foster in concert.