David A. Wells plays period and modern bassoons in a wide variety of ensembles and styles. On Baroque, Classical, and Romantic-era bassoons, he has performed in the past few years with the Carmel Bach Festival, American Bach Soloists, Sacramento Baroque Soloists, Capella Antiqua, Santa Cruz Baroque Festival, Pacific Baroque Orchestra, Musica Redemptor Orchestra, and is a founding member of Sinfonia Spirituosa. On modern bassoon, he freelances with orchestras throughout Northern California, collaborates with colleagues in chamber groups, and until recently played with the swing sextet Hot Club Faux Gitane.

Wells serves as Co-Executive Director of Meg Quigley, an organization focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the bassoon world. He is also active as a music scholar, having presented papers at the conferences of the American Musicological Society, the Society for American Music, and the International Double Reed Society. Wells is on faculty at California State University, Sacramento, where he teaches bassoon and music history. When not playing or teaching, he can be found swimming (in the ocean with the Kelp Krawlers when in Carmel), taking photographs, collecting records, and trying to keep up with his super-librarian/yogi wife, Veronica.