If you're curious

David Lee Zamora is a composer (ASCAP), jazz pianist, banjoist, and mariachi harpist from Del Rio, Texas, whose music is deeply inspired by Duke Ellington and the great American and British jazz orchestras of the 1930s. His work blends historical authenticity with a modern sensibility, creating a distinctive sound rooted in classic swing tradition.

Based in South Texas, David is completing a double concentration in Jazz Studies and Piano Pedagogy at Texas A&M University–Kingsville, along with a certificate in Sound Recording Technology. He has pursued additional studies through Berklee College of Music and has trained with musicians such as Jeremy Siskind, Nando Michelin, Vaughn Brathwaite, Peter Bufano, Vincent Gardner, and his current piano professor, Theresa Chen. He also studies plectrum banjo with Cynthia Sayer, member of the American Banjo Hall of Fame.

David is the founder and leader of The Dirty Creek Jazz Orchestra, established in 2022. The ensemble is dedicated to performing historically informed arrangements from the 1930s, shaped in part by a formative conversation David had with Vince Giordano, bandleader of “The Nighthawks.”

As a performer, David has shared the stage with artists including Linda May Han Oh, Rex Richardson, and Joey Tartell, reflecting his versatility across both traditional and contemporary jazz settings.

Recent highlights of David’s work include performing with the Texas A&M University–Kingsville Jazz Band I at the 2025 TMEA Conference; serving as an intern with the 2025 Texas New Music Festival, where his 12-tone composition Cuban Suite was premiered by pianists Olena Blagulyak and Yan Shen; and being invited to perform at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago with Del Rio High School, where he also directed a jazz combo featured at the event. In January 2026, he will appear on banjo with the Javelina Jhat 7 as invited guests at the JEN Conference in New Orleans.

In addition to his performance and composing work, David maintains a thriving private piano studio and teaches private lessons in the Del Rio area, working with students of all ages and musical backgrounds.

Active as a performer, arranger, educator, and emerging composer, David continues to champion early jazz traditions while developing new work that reflects his diverse musical background.