David Chernack
David Chernack
David was born and raised in Hyde Park, New York. His Hudson Valley upbringing sparked an interest in history and the environment. As an undergraduate at Brandeis University, David double-majored in environmental studies and history with a minor in music.
A lifelong multi-instrumentalist, David got his start on classical violin and viola before catching the bluegrass bug in high school. He has since won awards at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Lowell Fiddle and Banjo Contest for his skill on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar, and now performs with a string of Hudson Valley and NYC-based acts, including Strawberry Wine, Grass Valley, New Breaks, Too Blue, Long Steel Rail, Bees in the Barn, the Hudson Valley Flyers, and County Line Bluegrass. He also convened the bluegrass supergroup Grass Valley, and serves as president of the Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association.
He is now back in the Hudson Valley to pursue an MS in environmental policy at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy. Music and nature, especially birds and wildlife, are among his biggest passions, along with a growing interest in cars. Much of his graduate work focuses on electric vehicle adoption as a strategy to fight climate change.
