David William Sanford, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1963, is a renowned American composer and jazz bandleader. Raised in a musical family, Sanford's early exposure to music led him to play the trombone from the age of ten. He pursued formal education in music, earning degrees in music theory and composition from the University of Northern Colorado, New England Conservatory, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University, where he completed a dissertation on Miles Davis.

Sanford has an impressive list of mentors, having studied under Richard Bourassa, Robert Ehle, Arthur Berger, Pozzi Escot, Jim Randall, Claudio Spies, and Steve Mackey. He is the founder and director of the David Sanford Big Band, formerly known as the Pittsburgh Collective, a twenty-piece contemporary big band that blends classical and jazz musicians.

Throughout his career, Sanford has received numerous accolades, including the Rome Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship, and an Arts and Letters Award. His compositions have been commissioned by prestigious organizations such as the Fromm Foundation, Koussevitzky Foundation, and Barlow Endowment. His works have been performed by renowned ensembles, including the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Sanford's recordings have gained critical acclaim, with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project's album featuring his work "Black Noise" being named one of The New York Times' "25 Best Classical Music Tracks of 2019." His contributions to jazz and classical music are further highlighted by his role as a professor at Mount Holyoke College, where he teaches music theory, composition, and jazz history. Sanford resides in Northampton, Massachusetts, with his wife, architect Mary Yun, and their two children.