David Griffin is the fourth horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Upon graduating from Northwestern University in 1987, Griffin began his career with the Rochester Philharmonic and followed with positions in the orchestras of Montreal and Houston before joining the Chicago Symphony in 1995. Griffin has served as guest principal horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Saint Louis Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Shanghai Radio Orchestra. In September 2017, Griffin traveled to Japan for a solo tour, performing recitals in Tokyo, Nagasaki, and Osaka.
With the wind quintet Prairie Winds, he has performed in more than 25 states and has released two CDs. With the CSO Brass Quintet, Griffin has toured Japan, China, Taiwan, and Mexico. In June 2012, Griffin soloed with the National Orchestra of Brazil. He debuted as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony in Schumann’s Konzertstück at the Ravinia Festival in 2010. He has released the solo album For You, featuring the world-premiere recording of the Sonata for Horn by Bruce Broughton.
Griffin is a faculty member at Roosevelt University and previously taught at McGill University and Northwestern University. He has given master classes at the Colburn School in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Conservatory. Summer festival engagements have included Sun Valley, Grand Teton, Tanglewood, Manchester (VT) and Madeline Island. Griffin has also been a featured artist and clinician at the annual symposium of the International Horn Society.
Griffin, his wife Susan Warner, and their children, Henry and Pearl, live in Oak Park, Illinois.
