Composer Anthony Davis Celebrates A Life In Music

(Photo: Nelvin C. Cepeda)

The professor, pianist, composer Anthony Davis celebrates his 60th birthday on February 20, with a concert. This musician gave up a spot in The Grateful Dead to pursue his own musical destiny. "Davis’ first opera, X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X, had its sold-out premiere at the New York City Opera in 1986. His recording of X received a Grammy nomination. It also earned rave reviews for his unique, genre-leaping musical vision, as did his subsequent operas. Those operas include: the science-fiction-fueled Under the Double Moon; the Patty Hearst-inspired Tania; the slaves-in-revolt-themed Amistad; the American Indian-inspired Wakonda’s Dream; and Lilith, a battle-of-the-sexes morality tale that debuted at UCSD in 2009 and featured Davis’ wife, veteran opera singer Cynthia Aaronson-Davis, and their son, Jonah, now 14." [Source]