Tina Davidson facts for kids

Tina Davidson (born 30 December 1952) is an American composer. This means she writes music. She has created many pieces for orchestras, choirs, and other musical groups. Her music is known for being unique and beautiful.

About Tina Davidson

Early Life and Education

Tina Davidson was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1952. She grew up in Oneonta, New York, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She went to Bennington College and finished in 1976. There, she studied piano and how to compose music. She learned from famous teachers like Henry Brant and Vivian Fine.

Helping Other Musicians

Tina Davidson helped start the Philadelphia group of the American Composers Forum. She was its director from 1999 to 2001. She also led a national group called the New Music Alliance. This group was in charge of the New Music America Festivals. She even organized a festival called "New Music Across America." It took place in 18 cities across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. In 1992, she wrote an important article about women in music for Ms. Magazine. She also received a special award for her work in arts education.

Today, she lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Her Musical Career

Composing for Famous Groups

Over her forty-year career, Tina Davidson has written music for many well-known groups. These include the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kronos Quartet. Her music has been played by The Philadelphia Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. In 2011, the famous violinist Hilary Hahn asked Tina to write a piece for her. Hilary Hahn recorded this music, and the album won a GRAMMY award in 2015!

Critics have praised Tina Davidson's music. They say she has a "vivid ear for harmony and colors." This means she is great at creating interesting sounds and melodies. Her works are described as having "transfigured beauty." People also say her music has "structure, mood, novelty and harmonic sophistication." It is both "intellectually rigorous and deeply moving."

Working with Communities

Tina Davidson often spends a long time working with different groups. This is called a "residency." From 1998 to 2001, she was a composer-in-residence at the Fleisher Art Memorial. During this time, she wrote music for the Cassatt Quartet and members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She also started a program called Young Composers. This program taught children in the city how to write music. They learned by building instruments, making up music on the spot, and using special drawings to represent music.

She was also a composer-in-residence with OperaDelaware and the YWCA in Delaware from 1994 to 1997. During this time, she wrote a full opera called Billy and Zelda. She also created programs for homeless women and students at an elementary school.

Awards and Recordings

Tina Davidson has received many important awards and grants. She was the first classical composer to get a $50,000 Pew Fellowship. This is one of the biggest grants an artist can receive in the country. She has also won four Artist's Fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Her work, Transparent Victims, was chosen by American Public Radio. It was part of an international event held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

You can find Tina Davidson's music on several recording labels. These include Albany Records and Innova. Her first solo CD was called "I Hear the Mermaids Singing." Her second solo CD, "It is My Heart Singing," came out in 2006. It includes three pieces for string quartet played by the Cassatt Quartet. In 2002, her piano trio, Bodies in Motion, was released on CD and DVD. This was part of a documentary about the artist Thomas Eakins. Her work, Antiphon for the Virgin, was also released on CD in 2002.

Discography

• Tina Davidson: I Hear the Mermaids Singing
• Tina Davidson: It Is My Heart Singing