Synthesizer Programming for Live Performance: A Masterclass with David Rosenthal

Synthesizer Programming for Live Performance: A Masterclass with David Rosenthal

Join the Museum of Music Technology (MMT) for an exclusive masterclass with David Rosenthal, longtime Musical Director and Keyboardist for Billy Joel, as well as a master synthesizer programmer, Broadway sound designer, and legendary rig designer.

With an intimate audience capacity, this rare masterclass offers direct access to one of modern music's most celebrated keyboard architects. David will perform on his current touring rig to demonstrate, dissect, and perform in real-time.

This masterclass serves as a fundraiser, with ticket sales directly supporting the Museum of Music Technology's growth and educational mission.

What You'll Learn & Experience

• Live Rig Demonstration & Performance: Watch David perform live on his current touring rig, featuring performances of classic tracks as well as original music from his progressive rock band, Happy The Man.

• Patch Building & Song Setup: Step inside the programming process. Learn how David constructs complex, multi-layered patches and configures seamless setup changes for live arena and stadium performances.

• Vintage Tone, Modern Tech: Discover David's signature process for recreating vintage analog keyboard textures and integrating them into modern, ultra-reliable digital systems.

• Rig Evolution Through the Decades: Take a tour through music history as David breaks down the architecture of his iconic keyboard setups over the years, including his work with Rainbow, Cyndi Lauper, Robert Palmer, Happy The Man, and Billy Joel.

• Designing for Legends: Gain unique insights into the custom, high-stakes keyboard rigs David designed for Bruce Springsteen. Look inside big-time music and sound productions through his multiple roles in successful Broadway musicals.

Event Details

• Date: October 10

  • VIP door: 5:45 pm

  • VIP Meet & Greet: 6:00-6:30 pm

  • Main event door: 7:00 pm

  • Main event start: 7:30 pm

• Venue: Museum of Music Technology (www.theMMT.org)

  • 45 Mainland Road, Harleysville, PA 19438

• Admission: $80 per person (Ticket sales support MMT/EMEAPP, thank you!)

• Capacity: Limited

• VIP Extras: $125 VIP Meet & Greet (includes general admission).

  • Exclusive VIP Pre-Show Meet & Greet

  • Photo opportunity with your own camera

  • Includes an autographed headshot

  • Autograph signing on select personal items

  • Early access to seating

Reserve your seat early to secure your spot for this deep dive into live synthesis, sound design, and stage setup, all while supporting the Museum of Music Technology.

About Our Guest: DAVID ROSENTHAL

Few musicians have achieved the broad-based success that David Rosenthal has earned as a Musical Director, Keyboardist, Synthesizer Programmer, Producer, Composer, Orchestrator and touring professional. With a musical career spanning more than four decades, David’s talents have been continually in demand for his skilled musical precision, technical expertise, and vast experience.

David's multi-faceted career has taken him to studios and stages across the globe with many of the most prominent artists in the world. Besides his long tenure as Musical Director and Keyboardist for Billy Joel, he has also worked with Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Enrique Iglesias, Robert Palmer, Whitesnake, Steve Vai, Ritchie Blackmore and Rainbow, Cyndi Lauper, Yngwie Malmsteen, Little Steven, and many others. His critically acclaimed work with Red Dawn and legendary progressive band Happy the Man also illustrate his talent for composing and producing original music.

Since joining forces with Billy Joel in 1993 for his River of Dreams Tour, David has also performed on all of Joel’s Face 2 Face tours with Elton John as well as countless other Billy Joel tours throughout the years. David appeared in and scored music for the 2010 documentary film, The Last Play at Shea, and performed in every show of Joel's record-breaking 10-year residency at Madison Square Garden, in which Joel and his band performed one concert per month at the iconic venue, resulting in 104 monthly sold-out shows. David has appeared in several documentary films about Joel’s Madison Square Garden residency and also appeared in many of his music videos, including the multi-Emmy-winning concert video “The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden – The Greatest Arena Run of All Time”. Also of note is David’s work on correcting Billy Joel’s entire sheet music catalog. The revised and now accurate sheet music books for 10 of Joel’s albums have been released by Hal Leonard.

In addition to recording and touring, David has also worked on Broadway. Of particular note was his involvement with the Billy Joel/Twyla Tharp Tony Award-winning show Movin' Out, where he scored and arranged keyboard parts, programmed the synthesizers and produced the classical playback tracks. He also served as Associate Musical Supervisor for all productions of the show and was responsible for training each of the pianists for the "Piano Man" role to be sure that they were playing all of Joel's parts correctly. David continued his Broadway involvement with A Tale of Two Cities as synthesizer programmer.

David's discography encompasses a broad range of musical accomplishments, yielding top-ten singles, millions of record sales, an Emmy® award and two Grammy® nominations. He's also engaged his “classical side” with the Czech Philharmonic and New Japan Philharmonic, which both recorded his orchestration of Yngwie Malmsteen's Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra. He has also orchestrated for Billy Joel, Rainbow, Phil Ramone, and many others.

David has performed in numerous concert videos, documentaries, video clips, and national television broadcasts, including: Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Harry Connick Jr., David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, Johnny Carson, Saturday Night Live, VH1 Storytellers, Showtime and HBO. Of special note is David's involvement as Musical Director for child prodigy Ethan Bortnick's record-breaking PBS concert specials, The Power of Music and Generations of Music, where he assembled and led a full orchestra, band, and choir, as well as providing orchestration and co-writing some of the songs.

A prolific professional author, David has written for numerous publications including Keyboard Magazine and Electronic Musician Magazine, designed recording studios, worked as a software consultant, and still finds time to endorse many product lines including: Roland, Hammond, Arturia, Synthogy (Ivory 3), Lexicon, Audio-Technica, Mogami and Other World Computing.

He served as an advisory board member for the Recording Academy's Producers and Engineers Wing, the Audio Arts Program at Full Sail University, and is an inaugural member of the Bob Moog Foundation Board of Advisors. David was honored by Berklee College of Music with its Distinguished Alumni Award for "Outstanding Achievements in Contemporary Music,” and earned high honors from Keyboard Magazine, where he was voted "Best Hired Gun" in their reader's poll.

David has shown a strong commitment to educating young musicians by giving lectures at Berklee College of Music (where he graduated in 1981), Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins, Full Sail University, Musician's Institute, and many music industry seminars. He often speaks at private events including YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization), EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization), Oxford Financial Group, The Carlyle Group, and Crystal Cruises.

As a speaker, David shares his wealth of experience and insights with business and entrepreneurial audiences. His journey from a passionate musician to a successful entrepreneur is filled with valuable lessons and inspirational stories. In his engaging talks, he combines his love for music with his business acumen to provide unique perspectives on achieving success. His talks include live piano performances, followed by an interactive Q&A, all of which keep the session dynamic and memorable.