David Jensen
freelance writer & music historian
David Jensen is a freelance writer and music historian based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As publications manager for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, he writes program notes for all of the orchestra’s classical subscription performances, historical essays about the orchestra and its chorus, and editorials for local print publications. His work is regularly read by thousands of concertgoers each season in Encore, the MSO’s playbill series, a periodic publication of which he manages all aspects of compilation, editing, and production.During the 2024-25 season, David researched, wrote, and prepared for publication The Language of Song, a print companion piece exploring the connections between literary masterworks and the symphonic literature inspired by them. In honor of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus’ landmark 50th anniversary in 2026, he researched, sourced original archival materials, and wrote historical essays for Celebration of Song: A History of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, a retrospective booklet paying tribute to the nationally acclaimed chorus and documenting its rise to fame.As an archivist and historian for the orchestra, David’s work has helped to preserve the MSO’s artistic legacy. He maintains the institution's archives, housed at the Bradley Symphony Center, preserving thousands of press clippings, film photographs, concert programs, documents, and recordings dating back to the orchestra’s inception in 1959. He’s given presentations on the orchestra’s history, overseen archival installations, and completed the MSO’s digital performance record by compiling data from the orchestra’s first thirty seasons of concertizing, distilled from thousands of pages of program books.David received a Bachelor of Music degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where he studied music theory, history, literature, ear training, viola, and piano, serving as the principal violist for the college's premier symphonic ensemble, the Concordia Orchestra. He studied historical musicology as a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served both as a teaching assistant for the sophomore survey of Western music history as well as a student library assistant at Mills Music Library, the university’s academic music library and the largest such institution in the state of Wisconsin.For samples of writing, a resume, or general inquiries, email [email protected].