David Wright | Composer

David Wright

is a composer, arranger, and saxophonist based in Boston, Massachusetts, who is deeply informed and rooted in the American musical tradition. Influenced by Jazz, Funk, Folk, Klezmer, Classical, and Latin/Brazilian music traditions, he views music as an important cultural and artistic force in our present society, and strives to use these forces to create more new and relevant music for the world.

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Bio

A native of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, David Wright has developed an appreciation for the eclectic. Steeped in music from an early age, he developed an interest in everything from regional Appalachian folk music to hip-hop and rap music. David took to dabbling with his grandmother’s timeworn piano using it to teach himself to write and play until getting his hands on one of his own. Eventually he applied his newfound passion to his schools’ band programs, writing and playing clarinet and saxophone.

In 2019, David started attending the Berklee College of Music on scholarship. He hit the ground running, starting a short-lived composer’s workshop before it was halted by the pandemic. In 2022, David set out to form the New Jazz Orchestra (NJO). With the assistance of Tai Schiavo, the NJO is a 20-piece student-run big band that debuted in December 2022 and is still operating to this day.

In his collegiate years, David studied with Greg Hopkins, Ayn Inserto, Allen Levines, Panagiotis Liaropolous, Dr. Larry Bell, and Jeff Claussen. David graduated from Berklee in 2023 with a Bachelor’s in Jazz Composition.

Composition + Arranging

Though particularly experienced in writing for big band, David Wright is seasoned in writing for ensembles of all sizes and instrumentations, and enjoys taking on unusual settings.