David Hunter Koch began his performing career in 1973 as a singer, musician and bandleader, performing in various ensembles throughout the West coast and Canada and as an opening act for comedian Steve Martin, the Dave Brubeck Quartet and jazz legend, Jon Hendricks. Since 1979, he’s been performing and directing for leading US regional theatres including: Seattle Repertory Theatre, Empty Space, ACT Theatre, The Group Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, 5th Avenue Theatre, Anchorage Performing Arts Center, and MetroStage in Alexandria, VA. He’s worked with such notable performers as: Helen Hayes, Kevin Spacey, Kate Mulgrew, JK Simmons, Terrance Mann, and directors Garland Wright, Stanley Kramer and Bartlett Sher.
From 1983-87, as an Artistic Associate at Seattle’s ACT Theatre, under Gregory Falls, he produced and directed their Songworks program, working closely with composers, lyricists and performers to create and develop 15 new small cast musicals.
In 1989 he created the Cabaret de Paris, Seattle’s preeminent Cabaret theatre, where he produced and directed over 60 musical productions, which garnered two-dozen critics awards. Koch was named Theatrical Entrepreneur of the Year by The Seattle Weekly.
In 1993 he founded Cabaret Productions, an event production company for live entertainment, film and video for Fortune 500 companies directing company CEO’s like: Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, Washington Mutual CEO, Kerry Killinger and PEMCO Insurance CEO Stan McNaughton. As a video director he’s created corporate videos as well as documentary & concert films of music performers David Byrne, Jill Sobule and guitarist Pat Methany.
For 5 years, Koch directed, consulted and emceed Seattle’s PONCHO Arts auctions and Swedish Hospital Fundraising Gala.
Koch has performed as a guest artist with the Seattle Symphony, narrating Peter and the Wolf, The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra, and the world premiere of Samuel Jones’ The Shoe Bird.
As a playwright, he created scripts for new musicals, cabarets and performance works such as: Musica Vitae and Music By Gershwin; as well as composing over 30 scores and sound designs for plays including: Marvin’s Room and The Illusion.
Since 2004, David has been a free-lance director and producer as well as a corporate event consultant and emcee with his new company, HunterKoch Productions, based in Seattle.