Tyson Gholston Davis
Composer
Bio
Tyson Gholston Davis (b. 2000, North Carolina) is an American composer who is frequently commissioned by world-class organizations such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and various others. His work is characterized by expansive and resonant textures, kinetic gestures, and a deep affinity for the visual arts. His composition series “Studies on Helen Frankenthaler,” responding to Frankenthaler’s paintings, has been performed by ensembles such as The Juilliard String Quartet, pianist Jonathan Biss, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and many others.
…Expansions of Light (2023), Tyson’s 17-minute work for solo piano was written for pianist Jonathan Biss and commissioned by the Terezin Music Foundation. Described in The Boston Globe by Biss as “…everything in it has meaning — not just every note but every gesture, every marking. Every choice feels significant and feels like it’s made with intentionality. And that strikes me as maybe the difference between good music and bad.” …Expansions of Light was performed by Biss in Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Jerusalem, and France. Amorphous Figures, Tyson’s work based on a painting by Helen Frankenthaler, was co-commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and was written for the Juilliard String Quartet and toured across the U.S. and Europe.
Tyson’s recent major works include As Juniper Storms, an orchestral work for conductor Cristian Măcelaru, and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music; Cyan Lyricism, a work for flute ensemble and wordless soprano commissioned through a consortium from the New York Flute Club; …inner flame… deep and blue…, a song cycle for soprano Ariadne Greif, the Cornell University Wind Symphony, and a consortium of wind symphonies from the Eastman School of Music, Louisiana State University, Syracuse University, and Yale University. Upcoming projects include new works for the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and the JACK Quartet, Da Capo Chamber Players, and Eighth Blackbird.
In the summer of 2019, Tyson was a composer apprentice with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). His work Delicate Tension was premiered at the Konzerthaus Berlin by NYO-USA and conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano. The piece had subsequent performances at the Edinburgh International Festival and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg (Germany). Delicate Tension was commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Berlin to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. NYO-USA marked a significant milestone in Tyson’s early career, leading to further commissions from ensembles and organizations.
His recognitions include the 2024 Copland House Residency Award, the 68th BMI Student Composer Award, and the ASCAP Foundation’s Young Composer Award in 2020. He holds degrees from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (high school diploma), a Bachelor of Music, and a Master of Music from The Juilliard School. tysongholsdaviscomposer.com
