David Darling

David Darling (b. Elkhart, March 4, 1941 - ) – Cellist and composer. Born in Elkhart, Darling started on piano at age four and at age ten took up the cello, which became his principal instrument. (He also played saxophone in high school.) After receiving a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music education from Indiana University, he taught instrumental music at the elementary and secondary levels in Evansville and later taught music education at Western Kentucky University. From 1970 to 1978, he was a member of the Paul Winter Consort, and from 1970 to 1987, he played cello with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. For the past twenty years, he has pursued a solo career and has been involved with various education projects (Young Audiences and Music for People, in particular). Through these endeavors, he exposes children to a wide range of musical traditions and engages them in improvisation. With over twenty albums to his credit (some solo and some collaborative), his music represents a wide range of genres including classical, jazz and various ethnic traditions. Among them are Cello Blue (2001), which earned a Grammy nomination for "Best New Age Album," and A Prayer for Compassion (2009), which WON a Grammy in the same category. Lastly, he has collaborated with many other artists, including Spyro Gyra and Bobby McFerrin.