ALEXANDER DAVIS, BASSOON

Alexander Davis (he/him) is a New York City-based bassoonist who has been known for his ability to play “with poise and élan”- Cleveland Classical. He is a musician whose artistic intentions center on space-making, connection, and community-building within classical music. An advocate of creating equity in the arts, Alexander is the founder and Artistic Director of the Sugar Hill Salon, a chamber music series showcasing black and brown wind artistry based in the culturally robust community of Harlem, NY, and on the stolen traditional territory of the Lenape Nation (www.sugarhillsalon.com). Bridging classical and modern musical landscapes, Alexander has worked to foster a larger appreciation for the bassoon while advocating for a more inclusive and diverse musical environment. His drive to perform works by living composers and his passion for uplifting diverse voices in the music community has led him to become a sought-after artist and member of the International Contemporary Ensemble and Quintet of the Americas. 

In April of 2022, Alexander performed in the first all-black orchestra to ever hold a concert in the history of Carnegie Hall’s existence with the Gateway Festival Orchestra. He has played with the American Composer Orchestra, St Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Knights, Fort Worth Symphony, Harlem Chamber Players, Tertulia Chamber Music, Alarm Will Sound, American Modern Opera Company, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and more. Alexander has been featured as a soloist with orchestras performing works such as Phenomenal Women alongside Valerie Coleman with the National Symphony Orchestra led by Jeri Lynne Johnson and Carl Maria von Weber’s Andante e Rondo with the Fredonia Chamber Orchestra. Apart from playing in orchestras, he has been heard on Broadway playing in the pits for Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd, and Lincoln Center’s production of Camelot.

Alexander has performed in summer festivals such as Tanglewood, Ensemble Evolution, Banff Music Festival, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Maine Chamber Music Seminar, and the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival. In addition to performing, Alexander is the Administrative Director of the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival where he works alongside the Imani Winds to cultivate a new generation of innovative chamber musicians at The Juilliard School. He has also been part of the "Armory Artists Corps Teaching Artists" in conjunction with the Park Avenue Armory since 2018. 

Alexander is adjunct bassoon faculty at Montclair State University, Manhattan School of Music Pre-College, and Mannes School of Music Prep. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and Performance from SUNY Fredonia, a Masters in Performance from Stony Brook University, a Performers Certificate in Orchestral Performance from Manhattan School of Music, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate of Music at Stony Brook University.  He has studied with bassoonists Frank Morelli, Bob Williams, and Laura Koepke.