David begins studying at the D.I.T. Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin, initially specialising in classical guitar under the tutorage of Dr. John Feeley.

David successfully graduates from the D.I.T. with a BMus. He then becomes the first person from the Republic of Ireland to be accepted onto the Masters Degree course in Composition at the renowned Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he studies composition with Malcolm Singer and electronic music with Dr. Nye Parry

David successfully graduates from the Guildhall with an MMus (Composition).

Between 1999 and 2004, David participated in master-classes and seminars with many world-renowned composers including Louis Andriessen, Dusan Bogdanovic, Alexander Goehr, Steve Reich, Howard Skempton and Kevin Volans.

Feis Ceoil, Dublin
2nd prize-winner - ‘Senior Classical Guitar Competition'.
2nd prize-winner -‘George Lowden Bach Guitar Competition'.

– Feis Ceoil, Dublin – Winner of the IMRO Senior Composition Award
– Dorothy Moulton-Mayer Chamber Music Cup – 1st prize as a member of the Dublin Guitar Quartet

D.I.T. Keyboard Society Composition Competition – 2nd Prize-winner

David has also received bursaries from the Arts Council of Ireland, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, IMRO, The Michael Collins Memorial Foundation, The Bliss Trust and The Guildhall Trust.

‘Music for the Departed’ was commissioned by West Cork Music to be premiered by Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill and Ioana Petcu-Colan at the 2006 Masters of Tradition Festival.
‘String Quartet No.2-The Cranning’ was commissioned by Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival for the Smith Quartet to premiere at the 2005 festival.
‘Four Etudes for Five Fingers’ were commissioned by the pioneering American guitarist Charles Postlewate for publication by Mel Bay in the first ever anthology of guitar pieces for five-finger right-hand guitar technique.

David’s music has been performed by the Smith Quartet, Rolf Hind, Concorde, the Dublin Guitar Quartet and the multi-media ensemble CLAN (Collaborative Live Arts Network), David co-founded CLAN in 2004. Performances have taken place at Festivals including Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, City of London Festival, Dublin’s Mostly Modern Festival, Dundee International Guitar Festival, Waterford New Music Week and Carlow Arts Festival.
His music has been broadcast on national Irish radio by Lyric FM.

David also performs regularly in solo, chamber and orchestral recitals. His most notable performances are:

Performed in the World Premiere of Roland Dyens' ‘Concerto de Nurtingen' at the Nurtingen Guitar Festival, Germany
- Performed in the World Premiere of his own multi-media collaboration ‘Manipulations', with CLAN and the
Gerd-Kaisa Vorren Dance Troupe, at the Place Theatre, London

Performed in the World Premiere of Michael Gordon's revised ‘Van Gogh-Video Opera' with the Crash Ensemble, at the Crash Festival, Dublin.

Performed in the World Premiere of Roland Dyens' ‘Suite Polymorphe' at the Nurtingen Guitar Festival, Germany

David has produced a large body of works encompassing orchestral, chamber, solo and electronic music.
His musical style is a very individual mix of 20th Century, baroque, minimalist, rock, jazz, world and traditional Irish musical influences. In recent years David has immersed himself in traditional Irish music and uses what he learns to influence his compositions. ‘Slip’, the award-winning first movement of ‘The Cranning’ his second String Quartet, demonstrates how he merges the Irish influence with his other eclectic influences to create his own voice.

‘The Cranning’ received unanimous praise from critics at its premiere:

‘What struck me about Flynn was his self-confidence and sure-footedness. He had something to say in his music and was damned well going to say it. The audience loved it and so did the players—the Smith Quartet’
– Barbara Slaughter, (WSWS Arts Review)

‘More positive to relate were two efforts from a younger breed of composer, unveiled by the Smith Quartet. David Flynn’s ‘The Cranning’ incorporated traditional Irish music without Hollywood pastiche…..’
– Neil Fisher, (The Times)

‘……on 26 November,( there) was an amplified recital by the Smith Quartet, which included Steve Reich’s Triple Quartet. When your reviewer suggested that the work was sub-Bartok, he received the reasonable retort that this was an insult to Bartok.In comparison, The Second String Quartet, ‘The Cranning’, by David Flynn – winner of the 2004 Young Composers’ Award (was) definitely more rewarding.’
- John Warnaby, (Seen and Heard International)

‘Flynn is seeking to bring  the influence of traditional Irish music into the hallowed realms of the classical string quartet and moments of the Smith Quartet’s performance of this minimalist- influenced work gelled to perfection’
- Michael Dervan, (The Irish Times)

Complete Works List:

The Young Composers Collective (YCC) – www.thewub.com/ycc

David instigated the foundation of the YCC in 2004 to promote the needs of Young and un-established Irish Composers.

The Dublin Guitar Quartet – www.dublinguitarquartet.com

In 2001 David co-founded the Dublin Guitar Quartet with Brian Bolger, Pat Brunnock and Redmond O’Toole. From 2001 to 2003, David performed many times with the DGQ, including appearances at festivals in Ireland, Germany and Scotland. As a member of the group David appeared on national Irish television stations RTE 1 and TG4, as well as Lyric FM. He was also involved in premiering new works including his own piece ‘Chimurenga’.

A key part of the group’s repertoire is David’s own arrangements of pieces by composers such as Philip Glass and Arvo Pärt.
When he left the DGQ in 2003 to live and work in London, David was replaced by Cian O’Hara, but he remains in close contact with the group.

Artists Without Frontiers – www.artistswithoutfrontiers.com

This is a humanitarian organisation of which David is a member.

Contemporary Music Centre – www.cmc.ie

The CMC is Ireland’s national centre for the promotion of new music. David is represented by the CMC.

The Journal of Music in Ireland – www.thejmi.com

Ireland’s leading publication for discussion and debate around contemporary, traditional and jazz music in Ireland. David has had two articles published in the JMI including ‘Looking for the Irish Bartók’ which you can read here (link to article)

Aisling Agnew – www.aislingagnew.com

Aisling is a flautist who has collaborated with David and premiered some of his works.

Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill - www.martinhayes.com

Homepage of the renowned fiddle/guitar duo who collaborated with David on ‘Music for the Departed’

Ioana Petcu-Colan - www.callinoquartet.com

Ioana also collaborated with David on ‘Music for the Departed’. This is the homepage of the Callino Quartet, Ioana is first violinist in this acclaimed group.

John Adams  - www.earbox.com

This is the official website of the American Composer John Adams. He is possibly my favourite living composer. He is famous for his controversial opera's Nixon in China and The Death of Kilgnhoffer, but I'm not an opera fan so what I really like about him are his large scale orchestral works. 'Harmonielehre' is my favourite piece by him and it is one of the most amazing orchestral pieces you are ever going to hear. Also check out 'Shaker Loops' and 'Naive and Sentimental Music'.

Steve Reich – www.stevereich.com
 
Steve Reich is one of the greatest innovators in contemporary music. He is one of the pioneers of minimalism and he has composed some truly beautiful music. 'Music For 18 Musicians' is his greatest achievement. One hour of pure repetitive bliss! If you want to get high without taking drugs just get this CD, turn it on and close your eyes - You'll feel stoned when it is over, believe me! Other great pieces by him are 'Music For Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ' and 'Electric Counterpoint'.

Philip Glass – www.philipglass.com

 Philip Glass is probably the most famous living composer. He gets a lot of criticism for repeating himself too much but despite this I think he is just as innovative as Reich and his best works like 'Koyanisqaatsi' and 'Music in Twelve Parts' show this. He has also composed two of the few opera's I can actually listen to 'Satyagraha' and 'Aknahten'. His website is really cool too.

Roland Dyens - www.dyens.com

Roland Dyens is my favourite living guitarist. He is an incredible musician with an equally high command of classical, jazz and composition. Not many people can reach his level of cross-genre mastery. He's also a multi-linguist, he speaks around 7 languages. Yep, he's one of those guys that just makes you sick but you can't help but admire him. I had the pleasure of meeting him and playing in pieces he wrote for guitar ensemble at the 2000 and 2004 Nuertingen Guitar Festivals.

John Feeley - www.johnfeeley.com