As a champion of new and experimental music, David Friend is taking piano performance in new directions. He has worked with the preeminent composers of our time (Steve Reich, Julia Wolfe, David Lang, Charles Wuorinen) and has performed at the world’s top venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Royal Festival Hall (London), the Chan Centre (Vancouver), the Belem Cultural Center (Lisbon) and the Reina Sofia Museum (Madrid). As a founding member of the TRANSIT collective, he also collaborates closely with emerging composers from around the world.

David has performed with respected new music groups including the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Signal, Ensemble Pamplemousse, Red Light New Music, and the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. He also enjoys projects that go beyond the common stylistic or performance practices of classical music including cross-disciplinary projects with Dance Imprints, live sound installations at the Aspen Art Museum, the Corps Exquis project in NYC, and working with musicians from different traditions such as Bill Frisell (guitar innovator), Don Byron (clarinet rebel), and Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japanese pop icon).

As a soloist, David Friend presents programs that seek to revitalize the experience of a piano recital for the 21st century. Rather than dressing up a Belle Epoque convention with modernist harmonies, he seeks out composers who are rethinking the vitality of the piano recital format and experimenting with new concepts in sound, technology, and performance practice. A core goal remains David’s dedication to making new and contemporary music meaningful and relevant to audiences today.