David Cook is Assistant Professor of Clarinet and chair of instrumental performance studies at Millikin University, Principal Clarinet of the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra, and clarinetist for the Appian Duo (with Emily Grabinski, piano) and the Greyline Duo (with Alexandra Rodriguez, flute). Previously a member of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lieurance Woodwind Quintet, and the wind quintet Fiati Five, David has also performed with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, Heartland Festival Orchestra, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Norman Philharmonic, and the Texas Music Festival Orchestra. As a chamber musician, David has performed at Chamber Music Campania, with the Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble and the From the Edge Chamber Music Series. An advocate for contemporary music, David has commissioned and premiered new works from composers such as David Maslanka, Pierre Jalbert, David Biedenbender, Whitney E. George, Cody W. Forrest, Cody Criswell, Garrett Gillingham, and Andy Francis.
David has been a prizewinner at numerous competitions, including Second Prize in The American Prize for Instrumental Performance, Finalist status in the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist competition, First Prize in the Oklahoma Community Orchestra Young Artist Competition, and Third Prize in the White Lake Chamber Music Festival Solo Competition. Past performances and presentations include the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest®, the College Music Society National Conference, the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Conference, the American Single Reed Summit, the Amicitia Clarinet Extravaganza, the Clarinet Colloquium at Texas A&M University-Commerce, the KNOB New Music Festival, and recitals across the United States and abroad. His research has been published in The Clarinet, the NACWPI Journal, and The Instrumentalist.
At Millikin University, David teaches applied clarinet, chamber music, clarinet pedagogy, and clarinet methods. He was previously Instructor of Clarinet at Wichita State University (2016–2018) and Instructor of Music Theory at the University of Oklahoma (2017–2018). He is also a member of the clarinet faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, a Programming Coordinator for the American Single Reed Summit, and previously taught as Clarinet Mentor for the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra and Central Michigan University’s Summer Music Camp.
David holds Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees from Central Michigan University, Master of Music degrees in clarinet performance and chamber music from the University of Michigan, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in clarinet performance and the Master of Music degree in music theory from the University of Oklahoma. David’s principal teachers include Suzanne Tirk, Chad Burrow, Theodore Oien, and Kennen White. David is a Buffet Crampon USA Performing Artist and a member of the Silverstein Works PRO Team, performing exclusively on Buffet Crampon clarinets and Silverstein Works ligatures. davidcookclarinet.com