David Ott

Who is David Ott?

David Ott is an American composer of classical music.

Born in Crystal Falls, Michigan, Ott's works include four symphonies, an opera, the Annapolis Overture, written for the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, and various pieces of children's music. He has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music and the Grammies. The premiere of his Concerto for Two Cellos and Orchestra, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Mstislav Rostropovich, gained Ott the 1988 nomination. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1969. He received his Master's degree at Indiana University, and his PhD. in music at the University of Kentucky.

Ott has served on the faculties of Houghton College in New York, Pfeiffer College in North Carolina, and DePauw University in Indiana, being honored as Outstanding Professor at two of these institutions. He also held the appointment of Pace Eminent Scholar and Composer in Residence at the University of West Florida.

David Ott was the founder and director of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Northwest Florida, until it disbanded in 2008.