ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Author, From Cab Driver to Carnegie Hall
This week on Ira’s Everything Bagel, Ira sits down with David Singer, author of From Cab Driver to Carnegie Hall. In this inspiring and deeply personal episode, David shares his incredible journey through music and life—from his early days surrounded by melodies to an unexpected love-driven decision to pick up the clarinet (he won the talent show but lost the girl!).
He opens up about the mentor who became his “musical father,” the struggles and resilience shaped by a complex family dynamic, and the chapter in his book that’s not just entertaining, but deeply moving. David also reflects on his unique double life as a musician and cab driver, why he chose classical music (where he felt one with the music), and his passion for teaching students the beauty of classical music and opera.
Listen as he recalls playing alongside legends like Yo-Yo Ma, why classical music’s biggest superstars remain deeply connected to their fellow musicians, and the powerful legacy he hopes his book will leave behind. Ultimately, it’s a story of transformation, perseverance, and the music that shaped a life.
David Singer is an internationally acclaimed musician whose performances include the White House for President Jimmy Carter and later for President Bill Clinton. He was a guest artist for many seasons with the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society and performed chamber music concerts with Yehudi Menuhin, Yo-Yo Ma, Rudolf Serkin and members of the Guarneri and Emerson String Quartets. David Singer is an Emeritus co-Principal Clarinetist of the multi-Grammy Award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. His performances have been seen on the BBC and heard on Sirius XM.
David performed with Yehudi Menuhin in Bela Bartok’s Contrasts for violin, clarinet and piano in Carnegie Hall and was also a featured performer for six summers at the Marlboro Music Festival.
David helped establish the now thriving chamber music program and collaborative faculty/student performances at Montclair State University, NJ where he served as Coordinator of Chamber Music and Woodwinds, Professor of Clarinet for 23. He was awarded Emeritus status from the University in October 2012. He also taught at Yale and Princeton.
He has served on the Music Advisory Board of Young Musicians Foundation of Los Angeles, an organization dedicated to helping many of the most accomplished young musicians in Southern California, ages 10 – 26, thrive through creating performance opportunities and scholarships.
Today, you can hear David Singer perform nationally as a soloist as well as on many Orpheus recordings from Deutsche Grammophon on Sirius XM’s Symphony Hall.
David coaches young musicians throughout Southern California and performs with both the Singer Chamber Players and the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra.
From Cab Driver to Carnegie Hall marks his debut as an author encapsulating his life’s journey on and off the revered stages of the world.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, David also lived in Philadelphia, Seattle, New York City for 35 years, and Vienna for two years. He resides in Camarillo, CA, where he lives with his wife Barb, and dogs Rosie and Raspberry.
