|
David Darling
Barry Green
Alan
Scofield
Chungliang Al Huang
Mary Knysh |
"
Maverick
cellist" is
the phrase most often
assigned to Grammy
Nominated Artist,
David Darling, but
it hardly captures
the richness, diversity,
breadth and sense of
humor of a
man who
literally redefines
the
way the cello is played
and the way music is
taught.? His prolific
collection
of
recordings and innovative
performance style represent
an eclectic variety
of musical genres.?
His playful and unconventional
teaching
methods have helped open
the world of music
and improvisation to
thousands of individuals.
Darling
was born on March 3, 1941 in Elkhart, Indiana where he
began piano lessons at the age of? 5 and the study of classical
cello
at age 10. His passion for music developed throughout
his school years. David Darling attended Indiana State
University earning his
Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education.? During
his college years he founded a jazz ensemble in which he
played piano, saxophone and bass. He studied cello with
internationally recognized artists/teachers: Lorne Monroe,
Gilbert Reese, Fritaz Magg and Janos Starker, and pursued
studies in music composition. He was a scholarship student
with the Pierre Monteux
conducting school and studied jazz performance at Berklee
School of Music in
Boston. Early awards include First Place in the Indianapolis
Indiana Music
Matinee' Solo Artist Competition, and a Scholarship to the
American
Federation of Musicians Strings Seminar.? During these formative
years he
also pursued athletic interests in many sports with a concentration
in
competitive tennis winning numerous state High School and
College
competitions. Darling considers athletics and music to be
kindred
disciplines.
In 1966, David Darling began his professional career in Evansville,
Indiana
as an elementary and secondary school orchestra and band
conductor. In 1969
he became faculty cellist, community college orchestra
conductor, and music
education teacher at Western Kentucky University
In
the summer of 1970 Darling joined the Grammy Award winning
Paul Winter
Consort making his home in Nashville, TN. There he served
as assistant
principal cellist with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and
worked as a
studio session player in the Nashville recording scene with
the main focus
of his career being the Consort, an extraordinarily progressive
band for its
time.? The Consort sound was a rich blend of jazz, classical
and world music
incorporating, at times, the voices and sounds of nature.
As a soloist,
composer, and vocalist with the Consort, Darling was exposed
at length to
ensemble and solo improvisation. He retired
from the Paul Winter Consort in
1987 to begin the exploration of a solo performance, teaching
and recording
career.
Throughout
the years David Darling has collaborated with a wide
variety of
international artists including; Musicians: Paul Winter,
Ralph Towner, Glenn
Moore, Collin Walcott, Paul McCandless, Jan Garbarek,
Arild Andersen, Paul
Horn, Steve Kuhn, Terje Rypdal, Jan Christensen, Ketil
Bjornstad, Pierre
Favre, Steve Swallow, John Clark, Dave Samuels, Ratzo
Harris, Dino Saluzzi,
Oscar Castro Neves, Glenn Velez, Bobby McFerrin, Spyro
Gyra, Allaudin
Mathieu, Peter Kater & R. Carlos Nakai, Patrick
Leonard, Joseph Firecrow,
David
Darling established his cherished relationship with ECM Records
and
Manfred Eicher in 1979 with his appearance on Ralph Towner's
,"Old Friends,
New Friends,"featuring Towner, Kenny Wheeler, Eddie
Gomez, Darling, and
Michael DiPasqua.? In 1981, his first solo release for ECM, "Journal
October," was met with critical acclaim. Additional
solo recordings
include:? "Cello" in 1991 and "Darkwood"in
1993.?? Pulse Magazine placed
"
Cello" on their list of the 10 Best Contemporary Instrumental
Albums of
1992. Darling
continues to be inspired by the creative genius, artistic
expression,
and diverse
talent? associated with
the ECM label.? He is
currently working on his fourth, soon to be released, solo CD.Darling's self
produced CD, "Cello Blue," issued by Hearts of Space and
Valley Entertainment in 2001, earned rave reviews,? a 2002 Grammy Nomination
and also the AFIM Indie Award from the Association for Independent Music.
In
1986 David Darling co-founded "Music for People," an
internationally
recognized non-profit educational network dedicated to teaching
and
fostering music improvisation as a means of creative self
expression.? Music
for People's training and certification program, now in its
18th year,
continues to flourish in the United States and has recently
expanded to
offer seminars and workshops at the Center for Well Being
and Creativity in
Kiental, Switzerland.? Mr. Darling has traveled extensively
for over 40
years enthusiastically encouraging all humans to explore
their musical
talents and creative abilities.? He has inspired and encouraged
thousands at
numerous wholistic facilities and retreat centers such as:
Esalen, NY Open
Center, Hollyhock, and Omega Institute.
In
2001 David received the "Arts Advocate of the Year Award" presented
by
the Connecticut Music Educators Association for "His excellent work in music
education and improvisation." ?He has contributed to a variety of recordings
for young listeners and to the book "Open Ears; Musical Adventures for a
Ne
Generation," a compilation of writings for children by diverse musicians
such as: Paul McCartney, Peter Seeger, and Mickey Hart.
For over 30 years David Darling has performed at major festivals and in
concert venues such as: Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall,
Grace Cathedral, Queen Victoria Hall, The Kennedy Center, Festival de Musical
Visual de Lanzarote and Jazz Festivals in: Montreal, Berlin, Frankfort, and
international New Music Festivals.
David Darling resides in Goshen, CT creating music from Camp David Recording
Studios.? He happily enjoys being near his two daughters, Jessica Darling
and Bonnie Shea, and his grandaughter Erin Latham Shea.
Barry Green and David Darling were classmates at Indiana University and
remain good friends for almost 40 years. David and Barry have played
together on concerts and often appeared together on seminars dedicated to
concentration, innovative teaching techniques, and new approaches to
creativity and expression.
Return
to top
|
|
