It is with deep sadness that we share the news that David Lewis OBE, the founder of Young Voices, passed on 11th May 2026, aged 85.

For thirty years, David’s vision has shaped the very essence of Young Voices. He believed that the greatest gift was “putting a love of music in a child’s heart” and that the best way to do that was by providing them with a mind-blowing musical experience. That belief became a movement, and through it, more than 3 million children have been part of these life changing events. Nothing made David happier than hearing the stories from children, teachers and families about their YV experience and the impact it had on them.

David’s career began long before Young Voices. He was originally a solicitor and also a professional cricket player, representing Glamorgan County Cricket Club and featuring in their 1969 County Championship winning squad. After a chance encounter at a Wales rugby match he went on to organise the World Choir at Cardiff Arms Park in 1992 with Sir Tom Jones alongside a choir of 10,000 voices. A year later this was followed by a second World Choir featuring Dame Shirley Bassey and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Both events were a huge success, broadcast live on S4C and released by EMI Classics, spending weeks at the top of the classical charts. Over the next few years he staged concerts in Cape Town, most notably a tribute to Archbishop Desmond Tutu which featured Ben E King, a performance in the Vatican for Pope John Paul II, and a concert in Atlanta featuring Maya Angelou. In 1996, he founded Young Voices after receiving requests from schools, staging a single show in Dublin, and since then it has grown into an international cultural phenomena, with concerts all over the globe.

In 2022 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Music & Drama Education Awards and he was awarded an OBE for his services to music in the King’s Birthday Honours in 2025.

We will miss him. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and all those who knew and loved him. The 2027 concerts, which mark the 31st anniversary of Young Voices, will be dedicated to his memory.

If you have a memory of David, a photograph, or a moment from a concert that you would like to share, you can send it to tributes@youngvoices.co.uk.

Donations in David’s memory may be made to the Young Voices Foundation to continue his legacy: Donate

Thank you, as always, for being part of the community he built.

With warmth and gratitude,
The Young Voices Team