David Blackinton was born in Ogden, Utah. He was educated in the Ogden Public Schools
and graduated from Ogden High School. He was greatly influenced by his Jr. high band
director, A.C. Cook and his trumpet teacher, Fay Hanson. He attended Weber College
and received his BM and MM degrees from the University of Michigan and Doctor of Musical
Arts degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C.
He taught at the University of Delaware from 1965 – 1980 and at Brigham Young University
from 1980 until his retirement in 2008 after 43 years of college teaching.
David had a successful career as a professional trumpet player and teacher. He was
Principal Trumpet in the Delaware Symphony and played extensively in both Delaware
and Utah. He also performed at the International Brass Symposium in Montreux, Switzerland.
As Director of Bands at BYU and conductor of the BYU Wind Symphony, Blackinton conducted
this ensemble at both regional and national conventions of the College Band Directors’
National Association, as well as the national meeting of the American Bandmasters
Association.
He has conducted the BYU Wind Symphony in Taiwan, China, Philippines, England, Wales,
New Zealand, Australia, Russia, Finland, Baltic States, Germany, Austria, Switzerland,
Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, as well as three extended tours of the
United States and Canada.
Dr. Blackinton was inducted into the American Bandmasters Association in 1994. He
has been a member of the College Band Directors Association and National Association
for Music Education. He has served as President of UMEA and President of the Western
Division of the College Band Directors National Association. He was inducted into
the Utah Music Educator’s Hall of Fame in 2016.
Since his retirement from BUY, he has been Professor of Trumpet at Snow College. In
this capacity, Dr. Blackinton has gone well beyond what is typically expected of an
adjunct professor. He has demonstrated great concern, not only for his students’
musical progress, but for their growth and development as productive human beings.
He has shared the wisdom accumulated from his years as a music educator with the
music faculty as Snow, and has been a valuable mentor to many.
