David Schotzko

Originally from the little town of Aitkin, Minnesota, David started playing drums in 4th grade band and took to it like a fish to water. Very lucky to have a patient and supportive family, David spent most of the next 10 years in his parent’s basement playing drum set along with the radio and classic jazz CDs. In high school, at the encouragement of his teacher, David started studying classical orchestral and chamber music–a study which has led to a 30 year career creating new music with living composers in the USA, Canada, and overseas.

David lived in New York City from 2001-2009, where he was a founding member of the acclaimed International Contemporary Ensemble, and moved to Toronto in 2010. He has been an active member of Canada’s bustling creative music scene ever since, and is currently the General Director of Arraymusic, one of Toronto’s most established contemporary music presenters and producers.

David holds degrees from The Oberlin Conservatory (BM), The Yale School of Music (MM) and Stony Brook University (DMA). He has lived in Port Hope since 2020 with his partner T. Nikki Cesare Schotzko (a professor at the University of Toronto), their three kids (Leo, Duncan, and James), and a small menagerie of household pets. David organized the Listen Up! program at Ganaraska Trail Public School during the 2022-23 school year–a collaboration between SONG, the Capitol Theatre, and Toronto’s Gryphon Trio–and is very excited to be creating drum and percussion programs with SONG this year.