David J. Elliott (b. 1948) is New York University Professor of Music and Music Education(Retired 2022). He was born in Toronto and educated at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music (1967-73:B.Mus, M.Mus, B.Ed), and Case Western Reserve University, USA (1983:PhD,Doctoral Adviors Bennett Reimer and Peter Webster). Elliott taught at the University of Toronto (1973-Assistant Prof;1983-Associtate Prof;1989-Full Prof). While at the UofT he was awarded several sabbatical leaves to serve as a Visiting Professor of Music Education at Northwestern University (1984-85), Indiana Universtiy (1985-86), the University of North Texas (1995-96), and the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (1996-97). In 2002 he was appointed Full Professor of Music and Music Education at New York University. During his time at NYU he also served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Music Education at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, and the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing,PRC).

He is co-author of Musical Bodies, Musical Minds: Enactive Cognitive Science and The Meaning of Human Musicality (2022, MIT Press); Music Matters: A Philosophy of Music Education (2nd ed. 2015, Oxford University Press); author of Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education (1st ed. 1995, OUP); editor of Praxial Music Education (2005/2009, OUP); and co-editor of Artistic Citizenship: Artistry, Social Responsibility, and Ethical Praxis (2016, OUP) and The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical and Qualitative Assessment in Music Education (2019,OUP). He has published 52 peer-reviewed journal articles and 42 peer-reviewed chapters in edited books (including The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy in Music Education; The Oxford Handbook of Music Education; Music, Health, and Wellbeing; The Oxford Handbook of Musical Identities; and The Child as Musician. Between 1980 and 2022 he has presented 322 invited conference papers/invited lectures in 49 countries. He is also a professional jazz trombonist and an award-winning jazz composer and arranger.