About

Born and raised in Eugene, Olivia Davis is delighted to be back in her hometown after several years away pursuing academic and artistic endeavors. She holds a BM in Violin Performance and Composition from the University of Oregon, an MM in Composition from the University of Texas at Austin, and a DMA in Composition from the University of Michigan. Olivia has served as composer-in-residence for numerous organizations, institutions, and ensembles, and has received commissions from esteemed performers, including MacArthur Fellow and Grammy Award–winner Johnny Gandelsman. While primarily a composer, she is also an accomplished visual artist and continues to enjoy teaching as well as performing on both violin and viola.

For detailed information, please continue reading below.

___________________________________

Olivia attended the University of Oregon, receiving her B.M. in Violin Performance and Composition in 2013. Olivia studied violin performance with Kathryn Lucktenberg, and composition with David Crumb, and Robert Kyr. In her last year of studies at the University of Oregon, Olivia began playing viola, studying with Leslie Straka. As a a very versatile performer, she occupied multiple positions both as violinist and violist during her time in Eugene: associate and assistant concertmaster, principal second violinist and principal violist of the University of Oregon Symphony Orchestra, principal second violinist of the Eugene Contemporary Chamber Ensemble (ECCE), concertmaster and principal second violinist of the Collegium Musicum, and principal violist for the Oregon Bach Collegium. In the third year of her undergrad, she co-founded the Ova Novi Ensemble (ONE) whose mission is to perform works by women and women-identifying composers. Membership for Ova Novi consisted of, and welcomed all genders.

Olivia continued her education in 2014 at the University of Texas at Austin where she received her M.M. in Composition, studying composition with Yevgeniy Sharlat, Donald Grantham, Russell Pinkston, Dan Welcher, and viola with John Largess, violist of the Miró Quartet. Additionally, she completed all of the requirements for an M.M. in Viola Performance. In Austin, Olivia had the opportunity to perform as principal violist with the University of Texas at Austin New Music Ensemble, concertmaster and soloist of the University of Texas Early Music Ensemble, and section violist with the Round Rock Symphony. She was a founding member of the prismatx ensemble, a group whose mission is to combine visual arts with new music, collaborating with living artists. During her time in Texas, Olivia composed Koliadka, which is now on the prescribed music list for Texas All-State.

As a performer and composer, Olivia has taken part and been featured in multiple festivals, including the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music as the Arnold and Babette Salamon Fellow; The Next Festival of Emerging Artists as principal violist for the year in which their recording won The American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award in the Performance of American Music; the Brancaleoni International Music Festival in Piobbico, Italy for a premiere of her violin octet in the Castello Brancaleoni; and the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium in which she served as principal violist for the American Creators Ensemble, amongst many others.

Olivia graduated from the University of Michigan, receiving a D.M.A. in Composition August, 2020. Her dissertation titled, "Liminal: Work for Orchestra and Optional Projected Images" is an interdisciplinary work consisting of an original musical composition for orchestra and original artwork created by the composer with the option for live projection. Her dissertation received the Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant to be performed live and mocked up using the world-class samples libraries of Orchestral Tools Berlin Orchestra. 

During Olivia's time at the University of Michigan, she was the recipient of the Rackham Merit Fellowship and the Regents Fellowship, and taught as a Graduate Student Instructor of composition. Olivia studied composition with Evan Chambers, Kristin Kuster, Erik Santos, and viola with Yizhak Schotten. In 2018, Olivia was Composer-in-Residence with the University of Nevada, Reno during which the Nightingale String Quartet premiered her commissioned work. From 2019–20 she was the Composer-in-Residence for the Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings (DCWS), and as part of her residency was commissioned to write works for reed trio and trombone quartet which premiered during the 2019–20 season in Detroit.

Following her graduation from the University of Michigan, Olivia Davis was commissioned by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music in collaboration with Johnny Gandelsman, violinist from the Silkroad Ensemble and Brooklyn Rider string quartet, to write a piece for solo violin. The piece premiered at the American Philosophical Society, toured for many years throughout the country, and continues to be performed by Gandelsman and others around the world to this day. Olivia has also been commissioned as a composer by several ensembles and performers, including the Terra Voce Ensemble, ConTempus Initiative, members of the Eugene Symphony and Oregon Mozart Players, and more.

Olivia continues to collaborate with colleagues, new and old, both as composer and performer, and teaches privately from her home now in Oregon. She has a well-established background and extensive experience in music editing, engraving, and continues to work with organizations and individuals all over the world in this capacity. Olivia also serves in the role of personnel manager for the Eugene Concert Choir and Orchestra.

Olivia is an accomplished, professional visual artist, and continues to be an active performer, performing and premiering colleagues’ works as well as her own.