David de la Haye

David de la Haye is an award-winning ecological sound artist, composer, bassist, and music technician originally from Jersey, born in 1981. He specializes in underwater sound recordings using hydrophones to explore and share the hidden soundscapes of freshwater environments like ponds, rivers, and lochs. His approach merges meticulous field recordings with bioacoustic technology to create immersive, nature-inspired compositions that highlight aquatic biodiversity. David's work has earned him notable accolades such as the Ivan Juritz Prize, a Sound of the Year Award, and an Ivor Novello Composer Award nomination. He has also contributed recordings for the British Library, including unique underwater grey seal vocalizations featured in a Gaelic documentary.

David studied Jazz & Contemporary Music at Leeds Conservatoire and completed a master’s degree focused on glitch and digital music aesthetics at Newcastle University, where he is currently pursuing a PhD researching freshwater soundscapes. Besides his solo work, he performs as a bassist with bands like Monster Ceilidh Band and Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies. He collaborates widely in artist residencies, workshops, and commissions for cultural and ecological organizations, blending art and science to raise awareness of aquatic environments. Recently, he partnered with composer Mhairi Hall on the album *Underwater Cairngorms*, which combines underwater recordings with piano compositions to evoke the sounds of Scotland’s lochs. He is based in Durham and has been involved with Durham’s UK City of Culture bid.