Ferdinand David was born on June 19, 1810, in Hamburg, the son of a successful merchant. Interestingly, he grew up in the same house as Felix Mendelssohn, who would later have a significant influence on David's career. Like Mendelssohn, David initially came from a Jewish family before converting to Christianity. His musical talent was evident early on: from 1823 to 1824, he received instruction from the renowned violinist-composer Louis Spohr and Moritz Hauptmann. In 1825, David made his public debut in Leipzig with his sister Louise, a gifted pianist. In the following years, the siblings performed together in cities such as Copenhagen, Dresden, and Berlin.
In 1827/28, David became first violinist in the orchestra of the Königsstädtisches Theater in Berlin, where he met Mendelssohn in person. In 1829, he took on the role of first violinist in a string quartet in Dorpat and made a name for himself as a soloist on concert tours to Riga, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. After Mendelssohn brought him to Leipzig in 1835, David became concertmaster there and subsequently shaped the city's musical life. Later, he assumed the direction of church music and taught violin at the Leipzig Conservatory. His close friendship with Mendelssohn was also evident in the fact that David performed the premiere of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto and, after Mendelssohn's death in 1847, participated in the publication of his works.
David remained in Leipzig, which he transformed into a significant center for violin playing through his work. His students included renowned musicians such as Joseph Joachim and August Wilhelmj. Despite health setbacks, David remained active as a conductor and editor and championed the preservation of classical music. Stylistically, he combined the emotional depth of his teachers with the virtuosity of his era. Besides his reputation as an outstanding violinist, his compositional work, particularly his collaborations with Mendelssohn, was also highly regarded. David's legacy includes numerous compositions and arrangements of classical works.
Among his most important works are two violin concertos and several pieces for violin. The Fourth Concerto in E major and the Fifth in D minor, in particular, reflect his technical mastery and his keen sense for expressive music. In David's compositions, which often recall Mendelssohn, classical formal rigor and Romantic expression merge into powerful and accomplished music.