Craig Michael Davis - Berlin (2022)

Craig Michael Davis is an internationally known composer, conductor, and pianist from California. He travels the world performing a solo keyboard show and with The Craig Michael Davis Ensemble, which he founded in 2015. Living in New York City in his 20s, he received a Master’s Degree in Theory and Composition from the New York University. Moving to Bloomington, Indiana, in 2016, he received a Doctorate in Music Composition, from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Currently, Craig is on faculty at the Jacobs School of Music, teaching music.

Craig studied predominately with Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe, Jon Gibson, Lloyd Rodgers, Don Freund, Claude Baker and Aaron Travers. Craig has had works premiered by the L'viv Philharmonic Orchestra, the NYU Philharmonic Orchestra, the JACK Quartet, the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music Wind Ensemble, the Jacobs School of Music Wind Ensemble and the Indiana University Choir. Craig writes for film, theatre, and live performance. His theatre piece, “Letters to a Terrorist,” just placed in the finals of the ASCAP Young Composers Competition. “Letters to a Terrorist” portrays one woman’s journey and life as the wife of the leader of a terrorist organization in Algeria.

As a pianist, Craig has toured The United States and Europe giving performances of his original works. Writing for multiple keyboards with electronic effects such as delays and loops, he often collaborates with painters and dancers to create new works that last anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours. Craig has become increasingly in demand in writing and performing music in cross collaborative-genre venues that deal with multiple mediums simultaneously.

His writing has earned a number of awards and residencies, among which include three ASCAP awards, Finalist in the 2015 Sacrarium International Composition Competition and Forum, The 2013 Alan A. Mannason Award for Composition, and The 2012 Henriquez Award for Composition. His music has been played in the United States as well as in Europe.

Craig lives with his wife: Emily, and dogs: Duke (a golden retriever) and Hamilton (a toy poodle), in Bloomington, Indiana. Craig's music is published through Jack Harrison Publishing Co., and his music is distributed through Davenport Records.