Dr David Milsom, BMus (Hons), MMus, PhD, FHEA (b. 1974) is a scholar-performer, instrumental teacher, violinist, violist, conductor, liturgical singer, and university lecturer, from and based in Sheffield, UK.

Here is a substantial biography, its aim being to give you a detailed sense of who David is and what he does (and indeed, why!) In fairness, it is hard to be succinct after 45 years of musical activity!

David’s current work encompasses a wide range of performing as a freelance period instrument and modern instrument violinist/violist, instrumental teacher (with a specialization in advanced learners and gifted pre-H.E. instrumentalists), and scholar with particular interest and expertise in ‘romantic’ performing practices, and historical recordings. A recent avenue has been to develop project-based ways of going beyond traditional ‘violin lessons’ with his more gifted private students, with a strong desire to train and educate holistically for the challenging and changing environment of current and future western art-music practice.

In 2023, David was invited to take up the role of External Examiner for post-graduate taught courses at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and became a founder member of the Early Recordings Association (ERA), recognising his expertise in studying (and, since 2020, making) historical (and particularly acoustic) sound recordings. David has published and recorded widely, and takes a Polymath approach to being a musician.

David’s philosophy and practice revolves around creating portfolio opportunities and training for portfolio careers, a down-to-earth and pragmatic context to nurture new talent, and the strong belief that a ‘bel canto’ approach to string playing is axiomatic to an understanding of artistic production as an instrumentalist, especially for pre-twentieth century music (and tonal twentieth-century and beyond music), which is David’s main performance and teaching context.

Beginning his violin studies in 1979 with Pamela Price, David numbers Peter Cropper, Roger Bigley, Roger Coull, Martin Milner, and Heather Wallington as his formative teachers: the mix of violinists and violists here attests to his versatility between violin and viola and his love for both instruments. In 1986, he joined a select few (including such luminaries as Marie Hall!) in being awarded an ABRSM Gold Medal, performing his first major violin concerto (Mendelssohn) in 1988.

From Peter Cropper and Roger Bigley, David gained a life-long obsession with chamber music, and was described by former Lindsay Quartet ‘cellist Bernard Gregor-Smith as a ‘born chamber music player.’ From Martin Milner, who led the Halle Orchestra for 28 years (including its time under the direction of Sir John Barbirolli), David gained an instinctive leadership style, and, although Milner was a Lancastrian, his down-to-earth and practical approach to the daily business of being a musician (to say little of the teaching of technique and style) fitted naturally with David’s proud and partisan Yorkshire heritage! At university, David was mentored by many, but most notably Anthony Bennett, Alan Brown, and Peter Hill, whilst Clive Brown kindled a proselytizing zeal to advocate for romantic performing practices. Indeed, although posthumously and via incomplete surviving evidence, David’s most profound influence was the Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim (1831 - 1907) whose motto, ‘Frei aber einsam’ (free but lonesome) aptly encapsulates David’s independent tendencies!

After a brief dalliance with the prospect of undertaking work outside music, David began at the University of Sheffield in 1992 reading modern history, switching to the BMus in 1993, from which he gained a solid, versatile, and relevant musical grounding. Owing to the influence of Colin Lawson, he embarked upon a research MMus in 1995, resulting in a PhD in 2000 studying nineteenth-century performing practices under Clive Brown. David was maintained throughout his postgraduate studies by coveted British Academy funding.

After a few years as a freelance player, teacher and visiting academic lecturer, David gained a prestigious AHRC Fellowship in the Creative and Performing Arts in 2006, working at the University of Leeds with Clive Brown. In 2010, he took up the post of Lecturer at the University of Huddersfield, where he has remained since, currently working for the university for 4 days per week.

Currently, David divides his time between a range of freelance playing, instrumental teaching (mainly via his partnership practice, Milsom School of Music), and work at two institutions: University of Huddersfield (as an academic lecturer, instrumental teacher, and classical performance co-ordinator), and Hill House School (where he undertakes upper strings teaching and conducts the Senior School orchestra). Regular freelance playing includes baroque chamber group Four’s Company, nineteenth-century-themed chamber group The Meiningen Ensemble, as leader of The Brigantes Orchestra (a recently founded professional symphony orchestra with Quentin Clare as conductor and artistic director), Skipton Camerata, The Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra, and Baroque in the North. In 2024 David formed a new chamber music group, The West Riding Ensemble, to undertake chamber music events (some professional, some educational/unpaid) as training opportunities for his more promising students, alongside professional colleagues and friends.

David is also a founder member of liturgical choir, Sheffield Chamber Choir, and a member of the choir of St John’s Church, Ranmoor, Sheffield (which has a vibrant cathedral style and standard music department).

In his limited spare time, David enjoys an interest in food, wine, and the English countryside, taking particular pride in his native Yorkshire.

His academic biography and profile at Huddersfield can be found here: David Milsom — University of Huddersfield Research Portal

David is a member of the Royal Musical Association, Early Recordings Association, Incorporated Society of Musicians, Musicians’ Union (MU), and the University and College Union (UCU)