Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1984, David Summers was appointed Director of Music and Organist of St. Joseph Cathedral on April 15, 2019, effective May 1.  David was educated at Saints Peter & Paul Catholic School in Doylestown, Ohio, and graduated from Chippewa High School in 2003.  After high school he worked as an organist in the Cleveland Diocese. David moved to Gonzales, Louisiana, in 2008 for what was supposed to be temporary work. After falling in love with the food, people, weather, and vibrant Catholic culture in south Louisiana, he decided to stay! David began studying the piano with Michael Gurt at LSU and the organ with our late Director of Music and Organist, Robbie Giroir. After a few years of serving as choir member, cantor, and assistant organist at St. Joseph Cathedral, Mr. Giroir invited David to travel with him to the Roman Catholic Cathedral Musicians Conference in Rome in 2013. Greatly inspired at the conference, David decided to transfer to the University of North Texas to study the organ under the guidance of Dr. Jesse Eschbach with dreams of one day becoming a Cathedral music director. He graduated from UNT in 2016 and since January of 2019, following upon the untimely death of longtime Music Director Mr. Robbie Giroir, he had been serving as interim organist.

David moved back to Baton Rouge to marry. He and his wife Brittani are expecting a baby boy in July. Their two dogs, Taylor and Finn are also excited to meet the new family member!

David sings with the Baton Rouge Symphony Chorus as a bass and is a sectional rehearsal leader. He is currently serving as the Dean of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. He teaches organ and piano lessons to a few select students and teaches group singing classes that focus on sight-reading methods and Gregorian Chant. David is a full-time financial services professional and life insurance agent for New York Life. In what little spare time is left, David enjoys golf and running marathons.