David Mercado-Morales

Born in New York City at age 5 Mercado's family makes the decision to come back to Puerto Rico that will change his life for ever. At 15 he starts performing with amateur bands... not able to go to music school at the time he listens to the masters like Ray Barretto, Johnny Pacheco, Arsenio Rodriguez and Rafael Cortijo. When 1980 arrives he lands in New York. Now in N.Y.C. he enrolls in Johnny Colón's East Harlem Music School. His music theory teacher was Gilberto Colón (El Pulpo) at that time was the pianist for The Héctor Lavoe Orchestra. His Latin Percussion teacher was the great Nydia Matta (where ever you are HOLA) joins the workshop band and will stay there for the next 3 years from 1981 to 1984; the band will be performing mostly in the New York City area. Different directors had the honors like Alex Cruz, Bill Bales, Larry Spencer (R.I.P.) and Junior Vega. In 1984 he enrolls as a part time student at the Mannes College of Music in the extension diploma program there he will learn about the great classical composers and American jazz. His first Percussion teacher was Mr. Norman Grossman (R.I.P.) Mr. Grossman will be a big influence in his life. At Mannes he will stay till 1988 and receives a diploma in jazz studies. The next year he will return to Puerto Rico and is accepted in The Conservatory of Music (C.M.P.R.) B.M.(1998) and begins studies with Prof. José Alicea on Classical and Orchestral Percussion. In 1989 and 1990 will participate in "Festival de Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de las Américas" (F.O.S.J.A.) under the direction of Dr. Keith Brown the experience will be a head start in his classical formation. At the same time he will play salsa with Mickey Cora and later with The Great Mario Ortiz (R.I.P.) who was one of the greatest band leaders of Puerto Rico and will spend the next 4 years until the end when Ortiz decides to break up the orchestra sadly Mario Ortiz passed away in 1999. In 1993 joins The Puerto Rico State Band (Banda Estatal de Puerto Rico) under the direction of Lito Peña (R.I.P.) and will stay there to 2005. With the band he will perform all over the island and also will travel to the U.S. in 2001 and 2002 the band travels to Spain to perform in the International Festival of feast music (Festival Internacional de Música de Festa) in Castellón de la Plana, Valencia. Mercado is also a member of The Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra Arturo Somohano since 1994 under the Musical direction of Maestro Gualberto Capdeville (R.I.P.). The Orchestra who performs weekly free concerts is also a workshop for young musicians who have the need to play after they graduate from the conservatory. The orchestra now performs with a guest conductor most of the time sadly Maestro Capdeville passed away in 2006. As a percusionist had performed with...Cimarrón, Clave Maestra, Lucecita Benítez, Antonio Cabán Vale (El Topo), Danny Rivera, Cheo Feliciano, Andrés Jiménez, Los Hispanos, Rey Ruiz, Petra Cepeda, Alberto Cortés, Nano Cabrera, Andy Montañez, Los Miranda, La Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico / The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra & Camerata Coral in the world premier of "Misa Jibara" by Puerto Rican composer Nicky Aponte. Here’s a list of the performances in Operas & Zarzuelas among them are "La Bohéme", "Nabucco","Die Zuaberflöte" also "Amahl & the Night Visitors" and in 2006 The Production of Giuseppe Verdi's "AÏDA" under the musical direction of Maestro Theo Alcántara. The Zarzuelas (spanish operettas) are “Cecilia Valdés”, “Las Leandras”,”Molinos de Viento”, “La Verbena de la Paloma”, “La Dolorosa”, “La Boda De Luís Alonso”,”La Del Manojo de Rosas”, Luisa Fernánda” “La Del Soto del Parrál” and "Cecilia Valdés" (2007) under the direction of cuban composer & arranger Alfredo Munár. In 2008 Los Gavilanes & La Tabernera del Puerto. Also the musicals "Fiddler on the Roof" music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and "Pippin" music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. (this one in N.Y.C.) Mercado is a former student of Maestro Roselín Pabón, Rafael E. Irizarry, Luis Bermúdez and William Rivera Ortiz. As a teacher had worked in The Dept.of Education of Puerto Rico, Escuela de Bellas Artes de Carolina also Escuela Libre de Música de Humacao, Polifonía Music Academy & Allegro Music College. And for the present is the Latin Percussion & music theory teacher in The Preparatory School at The Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico.

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