David Bales, Artistic Director
David Bales is a performing musician, composer, and conductor with more than three decades of experience leading musical ensembles. He currently serves as Artistic Director of the San Diego Festival Chorus, where he leads the chorus in preparing and presenting a broad range of choral repertoire.
David holds a doctorate in worship studies, and his work as a musician has included choral conducting, composition, arranging, performance, worship leadership, and the development of singers and ensembles. Before joining the San Diego Festival Chorus, he served churches and musical communities in Texas and Southern California.
As a conductor, David is particularly interested in helping singers discover the connection between musical technique and meaningful communication—developing healthy, expressive singing while exploring the text, history, and musical character of the works they perform. He values the unique possibilities of community choral music: bringing together singers with varied backgrounds and levels of experience to create something that is both artistically excellent and genuinely shared.
David returned to the San Diego area in 2026 and is delighted to be leading the San Diego Festival Chorus as it begins its next chapter.