Renowned for his mastery of the clarinet and his dedication to instruction on that instrument, David Shifrin ranks among the leading figures in the field. In his capacity as artistic director of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, he has sustained and strengthened one of the nation’s foremost musical organizations. An advocate for contemporary composition, he has enlisted multiple creators to enlarge the existing literature for clarinet through new works. His presence consistently surfaces in connection with significant developments across American classical music circles.
Shifrin entered the world in New York City during 1950. He completed studies at the city’s High School of Performing Arts, followed by attendance at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan from 1965 to 1967. Training at the Curtis Institute continued through 1973. Subsequent orchestral engagements included positions with the Cleveland Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, concurrent with the advancement of a prominent solo profile. From 1981 onward he directed artistic activities for Portland’s Chamber Music Northwest. An invitation to the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center arrived in 1989; three years later he assumed leadership of that ensemble, remaining until 2004. Commissions extended to such American composers as John Corigliano, John Adams, Joan Tower, and Stephen Albert.
Instructional appointments have encompassed the University of Michigan from 1976 to 1982, the Cleveland Institute of Music from 1974 to 1976 alongside his Cleveland Orchestra tenure, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, the Juilliard School, and Yale University beginning in 1987. In 2008 he became artistic director of both the Chamber Music Society of Yale and Yale’s Carnegie Hall concert series.
Most of his recorded output has appeared on the Delos label, among them the 2019 album Spring Forward: Music for Clarinet and String Quartet. Additional releases have been issued by EMI, Aleph, and Deutsche Grammophon. Three Grammy nominations stand to his credit, together with Stereo Review’s Record of the Year designation for the 1985 Mozart clarinet recording. Distinctions awarded include an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1987, an Avery Fisher Prize in 2000, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship.
