David J. Gordon is a composer of band, choral, orchestral and chamber music. Recent performances and commissions have come from Montgomery High School (Skillman, NJ), Auten Road School (Hillsborough, NJ), St. Mary’s University (Winona, MN), Lake Hiawatha School (Parsippany, NJ), and tubist Yutaka Kono. David’s current interests focus on creating quality works of music for student bands, orchestras, and choruses of all levels of ability, from elementary through advanced. He especially enjoys talking with groups of students about composition and involving them in the compositional process. In the past year, he’s composed Let Us Sing! for massed chorus (gr. 4-12); Shadow of the Moon for beginning band; and Ebullience for H.S. Symphonic Band. Another main interest of his is klezmer (Eastern European Jewish folk music). His klezmer-influenced works include Tantz for wind ensemble, a clarinet concerto, and "All my bones shall recite..." for clarinet quintet. Born in Brooklyn, New York, David received his B.A. cum laude in music from Yale University and his Master's in composition from the University of Texas at Austin. He has also attended the Aspen Music Festival, the American Conservatory of Fontainebleau and the Hartt Conductors' Institute. His teachers have included Dan Welcher, Donald Grantham, Kathryn Alexander, John Halle and Besty Jolas for composition; Lawrence Leighton-Smith, James Sinclair and Harold Farberman for conducting; and Mark Ostoich for oboe. He currently lives in central New Jersey with his wife and son and teaches music at Montgomery Middle School.