Griffiths, D

Biography

Born and educated in South Wales, Dave’s natural talents and abilities shown as a young aspiring musician grew into a passion, which was always clearly demonstrated in his performances — on and off the stage — and was infectious and captivating to those who worked alongside him.
    An award-winning graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, Dave gained an honours degree in Music, an Advanced post graduate diploma in performance and a teachers diploma of the R.A.M. He was also awarded the prestigious James Blades Prize for Timpani and Percussion (in two consecutive years), which lead to concerto invitations from the famous Paris Conservatoire of Music.
    He has worked with some of the country’s finest Symphony Orchestras and is presently Principal Timpanist with the British Philharmonic Orchestra and of the Cory Band. Recent concert tours have also included working with Elvis Presley Enterprises Graceland USA, playing on the ‘Elvis in Concert’ European Arena Tour, alongside Elvis’s original band, ‘TCB’; and Percussionist for seven years with tenor, Andrea Bocelli, as well as working with the likes of rock legends ‘The Moody Blues’, and crossover artists Russell Watson and Katherine Jenkins. Dave has also held positions with some of the most popular musicals in London’s West End as well as on tours throughout Europe and the U.K, including Phantom of the Opera (West End), Les Misétables (West End and UK Tour), Joseph and His Technicolor Dreamboat (West End and UK Tour), Cats (Swiss and European Tour) Disney’s Beauty and The Beast (UK Tour) and West Side Story (UK Tour), to name a few.
    Dave has conducted a number of ensembles throughout the UK and after a period of assistant Music Director with the ‘Orbit Theatre Company’, he took to the high seas, working as Band Leader onboard a luxury Cruise Liner for 3 years. More recently, Dave has been seen leading the band from the drum chair with the UK Tour of ‘Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular’. He has continued to develop his arranging skills, writing for a number of artists and performers which has included arranging music for pop sensation, Gloria Gaynor.
    Dave’s work with brass bands has included ten years performing with the Black Dyke and Desford Colliery Bands (both under the directorship of James Watson) and the Cory Band (Philip Harper), contributing to many winning performances at the European, British Open, National Championships and BiC (including a unique double ‘Grand Slam’) as well as recording on numerous C.D. recordings, radio and television broadcasts and tours throughout the world with each band. Dave can also regularly be seen conducting a number of brass bands in the Welsh principality. Dave is particularly pleased to have had a number of arrangements commissioned and recorded by the Cory Band.
    Dave is proud of also running his own ‘Dave Griffiths Little Big Band’ and is privileged to be endorsed by PAISTE cymbals & MAPEX Drums and an international artist for Roland Musical Instruments and Porter & Davies Silent Monitoring Systems.