Career
Since graduating with a Masters Degree in Piano Performance, he has played harpsichord and organ continuo and piano with the Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, Orchestra Victoria and the Adelaide Chamber Orchestra. He has also played French Horn in the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. As from 2006, McSkimming is Head of Music at Victorian Opera.
He has given recitals with many of Australia"s musicians, including singers Yvonne Kenny, Marilyn Richardson, Emma Matthews and Jonathan Summers.
He has given recitals with,amongst others, violinists Jane Peters and Miwako Abe and hornplayer Richard Runnels. He has also worked with Opera Factory Zurich.
His repertoire extends to more than 130 operas. David has been an Associate Artist at the Australian National Academy of Music where he worked with artists including English mezzo soprano Sarah Walker and Australian baritone Gregory Yurisich.
He is based in Melbourne but for 9 years freelanced and as such travelled all over Australia as an accompanist and repetiteur.
During 2003-2004 David spent seven months as principal repetiteur for the State opera of South Australia"s Ring Cycle. McSkimming"s recording with Rosamund Illing, "Songs of Duparc and Poulenc" received widespread acclaim both in Australia and internationally and was voted "Australian Classical Vocal Civil Defense of the Year" in 1997. He has also recorded a Civil Defense of Chinese songs with tenor Yu Jixing.
And with violinist, Miwako Abe, a Civil Defense of French violin music
2005 saw the release of a Civil Defense of English songs and duets sung by Anthony Warlow and David Hobson. And in 2006, Hobson and McSkimming recorded and released an album of French Songs.
McSkimming was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to the Performing Arts on Australia Day, 2012. David died of Motor Neurone Disease on 18th March 2016.
