Imke David

David grew up in Franconia, near Erlangen, Germany. She became a member of her family's seven-strong viola da gamba ensemble at the age of six.  She was a student at the Meistersingerkonservatorium in Nuremberg already at a young age.  In 1986, she started Early Music studies (major in viola da gamba) with Jordi Savall at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. David quickly became a member of Savall’s renowned ensemble Hespèrion XXI. While studying in Basel she was influenced by Jesper Christensen, Andreas Staier, and René Jacobs. She offers regular concert and opera performances with the latter’s ensemble Concerto Vocale. She was the first viola da gamba player to be successful at the acclaimed solo competition for Early Music at Bruges. David is a professor of viola da gamba, lirone, and violone at the Department of Early Music at the Liszt University of Music in Weimar since 2010.