David Starobin

David Starobin stands as a central figure and source of inspiration for composers working in the realm of classical guitar. Beyond his reputation as one of the instrument’s leading performers, he established Bridge Records and continues to oversee its artistic direction as director of artists and repertoire.

Born in New York on September 9, 1951, Starobin took up the guitar at the age of seven under Manuel Gayol. He later pursued studies with Aaron Shearer at the Peabody Conservatory, where he formed a lasting connection with Leon Fleisher that led to joint performances. His appearances have included engagements with the New York Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the Emerson String Quartet.

New music written expressly for the guitar has long centered on Starobin, resulting in more than 300 dedicated scores from composers such as George Crumb, Elliott Carter, and Gunther Schuller. In addition to his work as performer and producer, he maintains an active teaching career. He joined the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music in 1993, occupying the Andres Segovia Chair until 2004, and continues to teach there. In 2011 he and Jason Vieaux established the guitar department at the Curtis Institute of Music, where Starobin holds the Fondation Charidu Chair in Guitar Studies.

Bridge Records originated in 1981 under Starobin’s leadership; his wife Becky soon became president of the company. The label’s catalog emphasizes music by twentieth- and twenty-first-century composers while also documenting historic performances, including a collaborative series with the Library of Congress titled Great Performances from the Library of Congress. Starobin led the Odense Symfoniorkester in the 2019 release of Poul Ruders: The Thirteenth Child, an opera whose libretto he and Becky Starobin jointly authored.