Irish-born David O'Rourke was influenced and mentored by the all-time great jazz guitarist Louis Stewart. Having developed his playing on the Dublin music scene. David came to the US in 1982, aided by 7 string guitar luminary Bucky Pizzarelli. Inspired by his boyhood hero Pat Martino (with whom he has studied and collaborated), David has performed with jazz legends Tommy Flanagan, Cedar Walton, Jackie McLean, Billy Higgins, and Curtis Fuller, to name but a few.

As a sought after arranger, David has written for special projects with drummer Lewis Nash and trumpeter Terumasa Hino (US/Japanese collaboration), drummer Ferit Odman (Dameronia With Strings), GRAMMY nominated multi-instrumentalist Steve Wilson (With Strings Attached), and his own O’Rourkestra Big Band. This past year David premiered The Eternal Flame, a commissioned work for the Limerick Jazz Festival, where he also conducted the“ Charlie Parker with Strings” concert.

A loyal industry collaborator, David reunited 20 years after trumpeter Jeremy Pelt’s Close To My Heart album, to do a follow up project called The Art Of Intimacy, Vol 2, His Muse. This album was number one on the jazz charts for three straight weeks in the spring of 2023.

With a concert MC’d by Morgan Freeman, David produced, arranged and conducted the Delta Blues Symphonic project which premiered in Dublin in the summer of 2023. The subsequent studio album of his exciting work - a rich pairing of Blues Standards with orchestral voicing - will be available in the fall of 2023.

With decades of experience as a professional musician, educator, composer, conductor, and arranger, David is a highly sought after industry expert. Since 1998, David has run the youth education and performance program associated with the NYC venue Jazz Standard, and more recently as part of its new non profit iteration Jazz Generation. Many of the programs ’alumni can be found in the top venues worldwide, thanks in no small way to the numerous opportunities provided to them through the guidance, mentorship, and skills honed that this longstanding program fostered during their formative years.

It’s David’s working philosophy that, “The opportunity to play music allows children to express themselves, which carries over into all other aspects of their lives. Teaching students to perform is not necessarily a linear pursuit, but rather an ‘in the moment endeavor’ where, if need be, issues can be addressed, ‘teachable moments’ can ensue, lessons can be learned, and self esteem can flourish.”