Born in Palmerston North and now residing in Auckland, David Kay is a regular guest conductor in the orchestral scene, having worked with all of the major orchestras in New Zealand. He has also held the position of Sub-Principal Horn of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra since 2008.

He studied performance French Horn at the University of Auckland where he gained his Bachelor of Music Honours in 2006 before accepting a scholarship to attend the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for a Post-Graduate Diploma of Orchestral Training in 2007 studying with Hugh Seenan, Richard Bissill and Jonathan Lipton.

David has studied conducting at the University of Auckland, The Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Sian Edwards, and has been an active participant in the Symphony Services International Conducting Program from 2010-2015. During his time in the program he has studied under Christopher Seaman with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Marko Letonja and Christopher Seaman with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and Johannes Fritzsch with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

David made his conducting debut with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in 2009 and since then has featured regularly as a guest conductor. Recent years have seen him take the podium working with Neil Finnon on his newest album, Sol3 Mio’s national tour, Max Richter in the Auckland Arts Festival, APO does Disco, Marlon Williams, Teeks, The Koi Boys, Rob Ruha, Aretha Franklin Tribute and Tumahana: Exchange a collaboration with local iwi in Christchurch and many more. 2019 and 2020 saw him working on programs including BBC Earth II, BBC Blue Planet II, Home Alone live in concert and the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s new work Hansel and Gretel along with three concerts with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra including the National Concerto Competition Final and Sparks! an outdoor extravaganza. 2022 saw a return to the podium with Tami Neilson, Princess Bride live in concert, various community engagement projects and his debut with the NZSO.

David is also one of the musical directors of North Shore Youth Music, a community music program on the North Shore, and a leading horn teacher at many local high schools. His passion for music in young people has enhanced his reputation as a sought after leader of workshops and masterclasses throughout the country