Dr. David MacKenzie

Critics have described David MacKenzie as possessing “enthusiasm that is infectious, expertise that is a wonder to behold” and as a conductor of “great warmth and consummate musicianship.”

He has been the Music Director and Conductor of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra in Massachusetts since 2006, and from 2007-2015 he was the founder and Music Director of Mastersingers by the Sea—an auditioned chamber chorus and ensemble on Cape Cod.

In addition to almost 40 years of experience as an orchestral conductor, Dr. MacKenzie has extensive experience in opera, musical theater, and ballet. He has held conducting positions with orchestras in Colorado, Kentucky, and Georgia, and served as Artistic Director of Rogue Opera in Oregon and has guest conducted numerous orchestras in Colombia, Peru, South Korea, and in the United States. In 1994 he was invited by the government of Colombia to become the Music Director of the National Symphonic Band of Columbia—a professional wind ensemble.

He has also developed nationally recognized orchestral programs at the University of Kentucky, the University of Northern Colorado, and at Georgia State University.

Dr. MacKenzie completed graduate studies at the Yale University School of Music, where he received his Doctor of Musical Arts, Master of Musical Arts, and Master of Music degrees. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. In 2011, The University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth awarded Dr. MacKenzie an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts in recognition of his contributions to the Arts.