David Chappuis obtained his diplomas, prizes and certificates in piano, trombone, music theory, counterpoint, harmony, orchestration, composition, musical culture and orchestral conducting at the Geneva Conservatory of Music (currently Haute école de musique de Genève, HEM-Genève ). He then perfected his skills with the composers André-François Marescotti (pupil of Jean Roger-Ducasse, professor of composition at the Paris Conservatory, himself a pupil of André Gédalge and Gabriel Fauré), Jean Balissat and Eric Gaudibert. At the same time, he specialized in repertoires of so-called old music (Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque). He therefore divides his activities between composition, arrangement, orchestration, conducting, research and teaching.

Currently, David Chappuis is a professor of writing (composition, arrangement, orchestration) and head of the musical creation department at the Conservatoire national supérieure de musique et danse de Lyon (CNSMDL).

He also teaches practical harmony (harmony, basso continuo and piano improvisation) and solmisation (initiation to medieval and Renaissance music, as part of the early music department) at HEM-Geneva.