“The Silverstein Works HEXA ligature provides an unprecedented amount of warmth, center, and control for my performances. The articulation is clear and precise, while the fine tuners allow for an incredible amount of flexibility, making this ligature suitable for all playing situations. Equipment that allows for absolute comfort and freedom in music-making is an essential, and the HEXA ligature easily meets my needs.”
Critically praised for “brilliant and stunning” performances, “terrific virtuosic playing,” and “a fine sense of drama,” David Cook is Associate 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 Chicago Sinfonietta, Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera, Northbrook Symphony Orchestra, 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 with 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 recognized in numerous competitions including The American Prize for Instrumental Performance, the American Virtuoso International Music Competition, the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music, and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition. Past appearances include the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest®, the College Music Society National Conference, the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Conference, the Midwest Clinic, 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 book Clarinet Conditioning: Warm-Ups and Perspectives, featuring contributions from clarinetists including members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, is published by Conway Publications and was lauded as “insightful, thorough, comprehensive” and “an incredibly valuable resource for clarinetists.” His research appears in Clarinet, NACWPI Journal, and Instrumentalist.
David teaches applied clarinet, chamber music, clarinet pedagogy, and clarinet methods at Millikin University, where he received the university’s Research and Artistic Achievement Award in 2023. David was previously on faculty at Wichita State University and the University of Oklahoma. He is also the founder and director of Academic Musician Career Consulting, a service offering guidance and coaching for musicians working in higher education or on the academic job market, and serves as Programming Coordinator for the American Single Reed Summit.
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. His 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.
