David Afkham

Ben Wright

David Afkham is Assistant Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, a post he has held since winning the 2008 International Donatella Flick Conducting Competition. He is also Conductor Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

This Summer will see his debut at the helm of the London Symphony Orchestra at a City of London Festival concert. Future highlights also include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France, the Hamburger Symphoniker, MDR Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, Gulbenkian Orchestra Lisbon, the Real Filharmonia de Santiago, and Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, as well as return projects with the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and Los Angeles Philharmonic.

David Afkham was the first recipient of the "Bernard Haitink Fund for Young Talent", and he continues to work regularly with his mentor Bernard Haitink on major projects with the likes of the Chicago Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw or Berliner Philharmoniker.

Born 1983 in Freiburg, Germany, David Afkham received his first piano and violin lessons at the age of six. At the age of 15, he entered his native city’s University of Music to pursue studies in piano, music theory and conducting. He won first prize in the solo-piano category of the 2002 “Jugend Musiziert“ German National Piano Competition. He then completed his conducting training at the Liszt School of Music in Weimar. David is a conducting fellow of the "Richard Wagner Association" Bayreuth and recently became a member of the "Conductor's Forum" of the German Music Council.

Since summer 2009 David Afkham holds the position of assistant conductor at the GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER. In April 2010 he conducted the GMJO as part of the residency concerts at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon.