British musician David Bates has, unusually, distinguished himself as both a choral conductor and a countertenor. Bates had his first singing experiences at England's Salisbury Cathedral. In 2007, Bates formed his own early music instrumental ensemble, La Nuova Musica, devoted to music of the Baroque and Classical periods. That group made its recording debut in 2012 on a recording of Handel's pastoral opera Il Pastor Fido. Bates has deployed La Nuova Musica in opera as well as instrumental music. He and La Nuova Musica also collaborated with various choirs on recordings, issuing a recording of Dido and Aeneas in 2023.