Composer
Steph Davis
Composer
Described as an "incredible storyteller" and "communicative" performer, Steph Davis (they/them) is a Boston-based marimbist, composer, cultural activist, interdisciplinary artist, and curator. Steph strives to create artistic experiences that 1) Black people can connect with and 2) encourage collective participation in contemporary struggles for freedom.Steph has produced and performed several marimba and interdisciplinary performance experiences, including pieces of mind (2021) and A Discourse on Black Identity (2020). As a marimba soloist and chamber musician, they have written, premiered and recorded numerous works for the marimba, and have performed on stages across the United States. Steph has also arranged many works by Black composers for the marimba, including Traditional Negro Sprituals and works by L.Viola Kinney, Florence Price, George Walker, and Errollyn Wallen, among others. Steph is proud to be a Marimba One Artist and to endorse Marimba One instruments and mallets.Characterized as "hauntingly beautiful" and "spine-chilling," Steph's compositions engage with Black aesthetics and are inspired by contemporary social events. Her music has been performed in concert halls and community spaces throughout North America. She has received commissions from Spectrum Ensemble, Prism Percussion, Modern Marimba, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Britton-René Collins, and Cameron Denby, among others.Steph received their B.M. in percussion performance at the Boston Conservatory where they studied with Nancy Zeltsman and Sam Solomon. They are currently pursuing their M.M. in marimba performance at the Boston Conservatory, studying with Nancy Zeltsman. Steph enjoys going on long walks around Boston, plant-based cooking, reading, and tending to house plants. Steph is on percussion faculty at the Dedham School of Music, serves as vice president of Modern Marimba, and is a member of the advisory council of Colorful Bridges. They are also the Antiracism Engagement Organizer at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard.