Ivan Davis

Description

The 2005-2006 season marks the 45th anniversary celebration of the New York debut of the distinguished pianist Ivan Davis. One of the most honored artists of his generation, the Texas-born Davis began his studies at the age of 12 with his aunt, continued as a scholarship student of Silvio Scionti at North Texas State University, then received a Fulbright Award to study with Carlo Zecchi at L ’Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. In 1955 he won first prize at the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist Competition and took top prizes in several international competitions: the Casella in Naples, the Busoni in Bolzano, and the Vianna da Motta in Lisbon. In 1960 he climaxed his prize-winning career by capturing the Grand Prize of the Franz Liszt competition and began his studies with the legendary Vladimir Horowitz. Previously, on October 21, 1959, Davis made his New York debut in recital at Town Hall, after which Harold Schonberg wrote in the New York Times, "this was an unusually exciting debut and it left no doubt that an important new American pianist has arrived on the scene." Davis soon appeared on national television as soloist with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra and recorded with them works of Liszt and Rachmaninoff for Columbia Records, which also issued discs of solo piano works by Liszt, Haydn, Mozart, Scarlatti, Mendelssohn, Schumann and Chopin, as well as concerto favorites with Andre Kostelanetz. During the next few years, Mr. Davis gave recitals in every state in the U.S.A. and appeared with almost every major symphony orchestra and every leading conductor, including the opening night Pension Fund Concert with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, as well as playing a recital on the Great Performers Series at Lincoln Center. He received the Handel Medallion from the City of New York (its highest award) for his outstanding contribution to America's cultural life. He is one of the few pianists of his generation to have a biographical entry in the New Groves Dictionary of Music. In 1966, Mr. Davis made his debut in London at Queen Elizabeth Hall to extraordinary critical and public acclaim. Edward Greenfield wrote in the Guardian, "He brought one back – or forward – to a golden age of pianism." Davis was immediately engaged and re-engaged with all the major orchestras of Britain, in addition to recording concerti by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Liszt with the Royal Philharmonic (Decca-London label) and appearances with the London Philharmonic at New York's Carnegie Hall and Philadelphia's Academy of Music. He has also recorded best-selling solo albums of Chopin, virtuoso showpieces and the award-winning "Great Galloping Gottschalk" for the above label. Since 1966 Ivan Davis has also received great acclaim as artist-teacher and pianist-in-residence at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, where his solo recitals are performed to standing room only audiences. Davis also instituted marathon recital series on which he appeared with his students in the complete piano works of Chopin, Brahms, Schumann and the 32 Beethoven sonatas. These have become the highlight of the school's musical calendar.

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