David McCarthy was born in Winnipeg, Canada. He has degrees in music from McGill University, the Eastman School of Music, and Houghton College, and is a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists. He is the organist and choir director at Atonement Lutheran Church in Brighton (Rochester), NY, as well as working at Parsons Pipe Organs.

David's compositions are published by Paraclete Press, Augsburg Fortress, and Concordia Publishing House, and have been performed around the world. He was a semifinalist in the 2016 National Competition for Organ Improvisation, and won second prize in the 2019 University of Michigan Organ Improvisation Competition. David teaches organ, improvisation, and composition privately - please contact him at david (at) (his domain name) if you're interested in lessons.