David Shifrin joined the faculty of the Yale School of Music in 1987, where he is Professor in the Practice of Clarinet and Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of Yale. He previously taught at Juilliard School, University of Southern California, University of Michigan, Cleveland Institute of Music, and the University of Hawaii. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Interlochen Arts Academy

Shifrin has soloed with orchestras world-wide and has held the principal clarinet chair with the Cleveland Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra (under Stokowski), Dallas, Honolulu and New Haven Symphonies and Los Angeles and New York Chamber Orchestras.

As recitalist, he performed at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, 92nd Street Y and the Library of Congress in A performer with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 1982 he served as its Artistic Director from 1992 to 2004. He served as Artistic Director of Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, OR from 1981 to 2020 and is the Artistic Director of the Phoenix Chamber Music Festival.

Winner of the Avery Fisher Career Grant (1987) the Avery Fisher Prize (2000) he has also received the “Distinguished Alumni” Awards from the Interlochen Center for the Arts and Music Academy of the West, a Cultural Leadership Citation from Yale, a National Service Award from Chamber Music America, and the “Extraordinary Service to Chamber Music Award from Lincoln Center. Mr. Shifrin has received three Grammy nominations and Record of the Year by Stereo Review.