David Spelman's career as an artistic director, curator, and music advisor for international festivals and performing arts centers, and as a producer of film soundtracks, has embraced classical music, jazz, indie rock, world music and the avant garde, as well as poetry and the visual arts.

Educated at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University and the New England Conservatory (which named him one of their One-Hundred Most Distinguished Alumni), he began his career at Jay K. Hoffman & Associates, a boutique classical music publicity firm, before founding his own public relations and event production company representing some of the most-distinguished artists and institutions in the classical music world. In 1999 he launched the New York Guitar Festival, now an annual event that presents the world’s finest guitarists in innovative, cross-genre, multi-media presentations.

Following on the success of the New York Guitar Festival, Spelman has served as artist advisor for festivals at the University of Illinois' Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, Australia’s Adelaide Festival Centre, Toronto’s Luminato Festival, as well as Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 92NY, and other NYC institutions.

His projects have attracted worldwide press coverage, and have been broadcast on NPR. He has enjoyed the support of funders as diverse as Apple Computer, L'Oréal, the Augustine Foundation, the Government of South Australia, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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I'd describe my work as trying to give audiences what they are looking for, but always with something more; sometimes warm and familiar. . . at times challenging or complex. I’m looking for ways to touch people. To make them listen. To pay attention.

Questions I like to ask myself. . .

How many ways can music and art touch a community?

How might we best activate a space—be it a concert hall, a theater, a church or a public park?

If we only focus on what audiences think they want, why should they want to leave the comforts of their home?