David Weber (December 18, 1913 – January 23, 2006) was an American classical clarinetist known for the beauty of his tone, his inspired playing, and his influential teaching of the clarinet.
While in high school, he studied under Roy Schmidt and Alberto Luconi, principal clarinetists of the Detroit Symphony.
In 1933 Ossip Gabrilowitsch, then conductor of the Detroit Symphony, was impressed by Weber's playing and helped him get a New York Philharmonic Scholarship.
He instead went on to audition for Erich Leinsdorf, head of German repertoire at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, who awarded him the principal clarinet position, which he held from 1940–1943.
[4] While he was a member of the orchestra, legendary choreographer Jerome Robbins created a ballet to Igor Stravinsky's Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet, featuring only Weber's playing.
Former students currently occupy chairs in the Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and Milwaukee Symphony and include noted soloist Jon Manasse and jazz clarinetist Kenny Davern, who initially studied saxophone in the same building that Weber taught in, only to become mesmerized by the sound of the clarinet playing coming from Weber's studio.
Current American Ballet Theatre principal and acclaimed recording artist Jon Manasse described his teacher's sound as having "a unique bell-like quality".