The LSO was saddened to hear of the death of David Cripps, former Principal Horn of the Orchestra, on 22 June 2024.
David began playing the horn at the age of 14, becoming Principal Horn in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain before studying at the Royal Academy of Music.
He joined the LSO horn section in 1970, and was Principal Horn from 1974 to 1983, also serving on the Board of Directors in 1977 and 1978. During his time with the Orchestra, he appeared as soloist in repertoire ranging from Horn Concertos by Richard Strauss and Mozart, to Benjamin Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings. He became particularly well known for playing the famous horn motifs in the first two Star Wars films (A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back), and for playing on the Superman soundtrack with the LSO.
In the later part of his career David moved to the US, where he held conducting positions with the Verde Valley Sinfonietta and Orchestra Northern Arizona. Over the course of his career he taught at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Royal Northern College of Music and, in the US, at Eastman School of Music and Northern Arizona University.
We send our condolences to David’s family, friends and colleagues.
