David Handler

David Handler (born July 24, 1980) is an American composer, violinist/violist and entrepreneur. His acoustic and electronic compositions have been described by The New York Times as “eerie” and “superbly wrought”, “exploring polarities of light and dark, the sacred and the profane.” He is the owner and co-founder of the music venue Le Poisson Rouge, and the founder and co-artistic director of Ensemble LPR, for which he was described as “the Ian Schrager of the music scene” by The New Yorker. Early life and education David Handler was born in 1980, in Manhattan, New York, and raised in Fort Lee, New Jersey. His parents are Joan Cusack Handler, a poet and publisher, and Alan Handler, a psychologist. At the age of three, Handler began studying violin, and at seven, he expanded his musical interests to include drums, rock, jazz and folk music. His early attempts at composing followed soon after. His formative years included studies at the JCC Thurnauer School of Music. Handler attended the Professional Children’s School (PCS) in Manhattan and earned a bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, studying violin performance, viola performance, composition and conducting. Career