Davidson, Tina

views updated

Davidson, Tina

Davidson, Tina , American composer; b. Stock-holm (of American parents), Dec. 30, 1952. She studied piano at the State Univ. of N.Y. at Oneonta (1962–70) and at the School of Music in Tel Aviv (1971), and composition with Brant, Fine, and Nowak at Bennington (Vt.) Coll. (1972–76). From 1978 to 1989 she was assoc. director of RELACHE, a Philadelphia-based ensemble for the performance of contemporary music. From 1981 to 1985 she taught piano at Drexel Univ. She was composer-in-residence of the Orch. Soc. of Philadelphia (1992–94), of Opera-Delaware in Wilmington (1994–97), and the Fleisher Art Memorial (1998–2000). Her music is replete with colorful sonoric effects and extra-musical influences.

Works

DRAMATIC Opera :Billy and Zelda (Wilmington, Del, Dec. 11,1998). ORCH.:Complex for Wind Orch. (1977); Dancers (Philadelphia, May 25, 1980); Piano Concerto (1981; Philadelphia, Feb. 28, 1983); Blood Memory: A Long Quiet after the Call for Cello and Orch. (1985; Bennington, Vt., June 1, 1986); In the Darkness I Find a Face (It is Mine) (1989); The Selkie Boy (1991); They Come Dancing (1994; Roanoke, Va., Jan. 23, 1995). CHAMBER:Recollections of Darkness, string trio (1975); Quintet for Alto Flute, Bass Clarinet, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass (1981); Wait for the End of Dreaming for 2 Baritone Saxophones and Double Bass (1983–85); Day of Rage for Piano (1984); Never Love a Wild Thing for Variable Ensemble (1986); Star Myths for Piano or Variable Ensemble (1987); Cassandra Sings for String Quartet (1988); Blue Dawn (The Promised Fruit) for 3 Winds and Piano (1989); In that Early Light for Glass Harmonica and Cello (WHYY-TV, Philadelphia, Dec. 1, 1999); Piece for Triple String Quartet (Philadelphia, April 28, 2000).

VOCAL: 2Beasts from the Forest of Imaginary Beings for Narrator and Orch. (1975; Bennington, Vtv April 20, 1976); Man-Faced-Scarab for Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, and Oboe (1978); Witches’ Hammer for Voice and Percussion (1979); Unicorn/Tapestry for Voice, Cello, and Tape (1982).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire