Rachfan

Born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1944, David April began 10 years of piano lessons at age 8 as a pupil of Nancy de Francesco Oliva, a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Her principal teachers had been Miklos Schwalb, who had studied with Ernst von Dohnanyi; Albion Metcalf, a pupil of Tobias Matthay; and David Barnett, who studied with Howard Brockway and Alfred Cortot. From Mrs. Oliva, David learned all the fundamentals of pianism.

During those years, David participated annually in the adjudicated National Piano Playing Auditions, and in 1963 was awarded the Paderewski Gold Medal by the American College of Musicians, and a Diploma in Artistic Piano Playing and a scholarship by the National Guild of Piano Teachers.

In 1963 he also entered the New England Pianoforte Teachers’ Association Competition in Boston, adjudicated by piano faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music, where he was named one of four finalists and performed in the finalists’ recital at Boston University. David also gave a formal senior solo recital at the King Hooper Mansion in Marblehead, Massachusetts that same year.

Along with studying piano, David also spent some time accompanying singers, which he believes had an important impact on his approach to musicality in playing the solo piano literature. If asked which touring artist of the day had the greatest influence on him, it would have been Artur Rubinstein.

During his middle years, David studied piano again, this time for seven years with Michael Kramer, an artist-teacher with a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from Boston University. Kramer was a long-time student of the distinguished artist and pedagogue Anthony di Bonaventura, himself a former pupil of Isabelle Vengerova. Kramer made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall in 1974. He has been a piano recitalist and soloist with orchestras in the United States and Europe, including several performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. David used this opportunity to expand his repertoire, delve more deeply into matters of interpretation, and to learn many more of the finer points of musicianship and artistry in performance.

David holds no degree in music, but instead a B.A. in Government, an M.B.A., and the Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) degree. He did, however, complete elective music courses in music theory, musicology, and conducting during his undergraduate years.

Although the Romantic and Impressionist periods hold much interest for him, he feels the greatest affinity for the music of the Late Romantics. David plays a Baldwin Model L Artist Grand and enjoys studying lesser known repertoire and doing recording projects.

He resides with his wife Martha in Bangor, Maine.


Recordings
Bortkiewicz- "A Dream" from Fantasy Pieces, Op. 61
Bortkiewicz - "Nocturne" from Yugoslav Suite Op. 58
Bortkiewicz - Preludes
Bortkiewicz - Three Pieces Op.24
Catoire - Chants du crepuscule, Op. 24
Catoire - Four Préludes, Op.17
Catoire - Quatre Morceaux Op. 12
Debussy - Estampes
Dohnanyi - Winterreigen op. 13
Dutra - Preludio Op. 32
Faure - Barcarolles
Faure - Nocturnes
Glazunov - Preludes
Kosenko - "Consolation" Op. 9, no. 1
Kosenko - Etude Op.8 No.8
Kosenko - Poem legends op. 12, no. 1
Kazhlayev - Prelude no. 1
Kazhlayev - Prelude no. 2
Liadov - Piano Pieces
Liszt - Annees de Pelerinage
Medtner - Eight Mood Pictures
Medtner - Sonatas
Poulenc - Miscellaneous
Rachmaninov - Miscellaneous
Rachmaninov - Five Pieces Op.3
Rachmaninov - Preludes
Ravel - A la maniere de...
Schubert - Impromptus
Scriabin - Etudes
Scriabin - Feuillet d'Album op. 45 no.1
Scriabin - Poems
Scriabin - Preludes