Derek David

Derek David serves as a Lecturer in Music at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and as a teaching fellow at Harvard University, where he has earned the "Harvard University Distinction in Teaching Award" five times. A Boston-based composer, conductor, and music educator, his chamber music compositions have garnered international acclaim across Europe and the United States.

He received his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from the New England Conservatory of Music. His scholarly and creative interests encompass composition (particularly chamber music), medieval theory, musicology, the music of The Beatles, and Jewish Music. He is the musical director of 'A Besere Velt' (אַ בעסערע װעלט), one of the few choirs globally dedicated to Yiddish repertoire and an activist organization promoting economic and racial social justice.

Dr. David's contributions have been recognized with prestigious scientific awards:

• EAMA Nadia Boulanger Institute Prize (2011)
• Morton Gould ASCAP Award (2011)
• American prize, first place (2015)
• SFCM Hoefer Prize (2018)

His String Quartet (2011) has been repeatedly performed throughout the United States and acclaimed by Classiquenews.com as "a true musical jewel of the 21st Century." While specific details of graduate students and research grants are not provided in available sources, his leadership of 'A Besere Velt' demonstrates deep engagement with cultural preservation and social activism through music.