Meet David Wheatley

David Wheatley is an award-winning organist, pianist and composer based in Los Angeles, California. He was born and raised in Guelph, Ontario Canada where he received his early musical training. He attended the University of Toronto and studied with Clifford Poole at the Royal Conservatory of Music where he holds the ARCT in both Piano and Pipe Organ Performance. David tied for first place for The Edward Johnson Music Foundation Award in Guelph for classical organ performance. He also won the Ron Collier Composition Contest then held annually in Toronto. He has a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of North Texas (formerly North Texas State University) and holds a Master’s Degree in Composition from the University of Southern California. Wheatley’s diverse background includes performing the Bach B Minor Mass on the organ with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra during a 20-city tour including Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; recording the Five Pieces for Orchestra by Arnold Schoenberg with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for Nonesuch Records; performing solo organ recitals at various venues such as The Cathedral of Our Lady of the  Angels in Los Angeles and for Pasadena Presbyterian Church’s Music at Noon Series; was one of three recitalists who performed a solo organ program in Glendora, California for the American Guild of Organists, Los Angeles Chapter; as well as giving organ recitals in Canada. David has also performed solo piano and organ concerts in Laguna Beach and Glendale, California. Conductors that he has played under include Daniel Lewis, Anshel Brusilow, Helmuth Rilling, Lionel Newman, Jaco Wong, and others. David conducted his original orchestral work, Kroma, with the University of North Texas Symphony and conducted an original film score with the National Philharmonic of London. As a young composer, he was invited to be part of an anthology which was a Premiere of Seven Compositions for the Piano. His composition, Five Short Pieces for Piano, is included in the published anthology edited by Joseph Banowetz and published by Neil A. Kjos, Jr. in one of their Composers of Today editions. Wheatley’s original composition, Duo for Two Marimbas, was performed in the summer of 2023 in Japan by percussionist Kazuhide Takeshita. For four Sundays in July of 2023, David was guest organist at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, home to what is considered to be the second-largest church pipe organ in the world. He also performed a 30-minute prelude concert before each service which is a weekly tradition at that church. David has served as organist, pianist, music director, and choir director for numerous churches of many denominations. He has also played the organ at UCLA’s prestigious Royce Hall. In August of 2019, he traveled to London, England where he visited and played eight historical pipe organs with an eye towards giving future concerts there. David is currently on the Executive Committee as Member-at-Large of the American Guild of Organists, Los Angeles Chapter.