David Abrams

David Abrams served as classical music reviewer, critic and music columnist with The Post-Standard from 1992 to 2008, covering orchestral, chamber music and opera performances and earning 10 “Best in Category" Syracuse Press Club awards in the categories of Critiques, Best Human Interest Story and the Robert Haggart Memorial Award for Best Daily Newspaper Column.  He later authored a column in the Eagle Newspapers titled Music Matters.

Currently in his third decade as Professor of Music at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, Abrams teaches music history, ear training, clarinet and saxophone, and presently serves as Chair of the Music Department.  From 1987 to 2002 he also taught clarinet at Syracuse University's Setnor School of Music.  He held prior appointments as clarinetist with the Rochester Philharmonic and Syracuse Symphony orchestras, and currently remains active as a performer in chamber music venues, including the Society for New Music.

With the exception of a two-year appointment at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point Abrams has been a New Yorker his entire life.  He grew up in Brooklyn, graduated from the High School of Music & Art in Manhattan and then The Eastman School of Music (University of Rochester), where he earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Theory, and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Performance and Literature.
 
Outside of music, Abrams enjoys his involvement with labor relations activities at Onondaga, where he serves as Grievance Officer for the Onondaga Community College Federation of Teachers and Administrators (OCCFTA).  Whatever time may be left in the day he enjoys devoting to two great passions: chess (which he says consumes far too much of his time), and Mozart operas (for which he insists there can never be sufficient time). 

Abrams lives in Camillus with his wife, Cheryl, Communications Manager at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, and their incorrigible miniature schnauzer, Teddy (shown here this past Halloween cast as a lady bug).