David Close is Artistic Director and Conductor of The Oratorio Society of Queens (OSQ) and The Orchestral Arts Ensemble of Queens. Maestro Close has received personal recognition from the New York City Council for bringing fine music to Queens.

Maestro Close is celebrating his 40-year anniversary with the Oratorio Society of Queens as a testament to his enduring devotion to the arts in Queens and his commitment to making OSQ a vibrant part of Queens’ cultural infrastructure and community life. David believes in the value of community involvement and the diffusion of musical experience throughout the borough so that it is available to all. He fosters the development of music making by amateurs who otherwise pursue their own callings in life but have a love of music, and more particularly a love of singing.

With his gift for anecdote and insightful commentary, David's comments from the podium are among the hallmarks of OSQ concerts. But other hallmarks are chorus size, program selections, orchestral performance and, last but not least, choral performance. Every one of those elements reflects David's vision, talent and personality.

A graduate of the Queens College Music program, Maestro Close was assistant conductor to internationally known conductor and composer Hugo Weisgall. Maestro Close was conductor and vocal coach for the Opera Workshop at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College.

Maestro Close studied conducting with Laszlo Halasz (founder and first Music Director of the NYC Opera) and was the assistant conductor for The Concert Choir and Orchestra of Long Island that produced many operas and choral works in the metropolitan and Long Island areas. Maestro Close assisted Laszlo Halasz in the preparation of Hovhaness’ oratorio, "The Way of Jesus," in a world-premiere performance at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. He also prepared the chorus for the bicentennial recording of Eugene Zador’s "Christopher Columbus."

He has conducted performances for the Singers’ Theater of Westchester, the Manhattan Opera, and the New York Lyric Opera and guest-conducted Summer Sings for the New York Choral Society and the Masterwork Chorus of New Jersey. David is also the founder and first Executive and Artistic Director of Musica Reginae Productions. In 2000, at the request of former Borough President Claire Shulman, Maestro Close conducted the Oratorio Society of Queens and the Queens Symphony in a Millennial Concert at the Unisphere.

Maestro Close is currently the Music Director and Organist at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Forest Hills, the Music Director and Conductor of the Great Neck Choral Society, the Music Director of the Sacred Music Society in Forest Hills and the Organist of Temple Am Echad in Lynbrook, LI.

Maestro Close can be contacted at artisticdirector@queensoratorio.org