David Kemp
percussion

Dave Kemp is a diverse musician whose career combines live performance, recording sessions and musical direction across  many musical styles and ensembles. This has included touring   across Australia as on-stage percussionist for The Lion King   Musical, with internationally renowned artists such as Neil Finn, Diana Krall and Tommy Emmanuel, and as Musical Director of South-East Region Jazz Orchestra (SERJO) and Transplanted Rhythms Percussion. Initially studying orchestral percussion at the Qld Conservatorium, he is a regular performer with Qld Symphony Orchestra as well with Qld Camerata, Elision, Topology  and Isorhythmos. 

Also drawn to jazz, Dave received an Arts Qld Professional Development grant to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA. There he studied vibraphone with masters Ed Saindon and Dave Samuels resulting in being selected to perform at The Berklee Percussion Festival. Further study in jazz composition and performance resulted in completing a research masters at the  Sydney Conservatorium and releasing his own album Transitions by The Dave Kemp Group which was  shortlisted for a Qld Music Award. 

 

Current projects include exploring hand percussion concepts from studies in Istanbul with local chamber group Zenekar and also composing much of the material for the group who were finalists in the World Music category at the 2024 Qld Music Awards. Dave also directs the percussion group Transplanted Rhythms who were selected as the opening act for the Brisbane Ethnic Music and Arts Centre 2024 concert season. Creative leadership is also an interest with the newly formed large ensemble South East Region Jazz Orchestra (SERJO) following their highly successful production of the Cuban Fire Suite at the Brisbane International Jazz Festival 2024. 

Dave is also a tertiary educator having developed and lectured the first ever curriculum for Vibraphone as a jazz major study instrument at the Qld Conservatorium of Music as well as creating the curriculum for Percussion Pedagogy. Dave was also appointed Percussion Lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology and works as a senior examiner for the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB).