Tony Davis, also known as Anthony Davis, was born February 20, 1951 in Paterson (New Jersey). He is an American composer and jazz pianist. Davis is most well-known for his opera X, the Life and Times of Malcolm X. It was first performed by New York City Opera in 1986. He was a Yale University professor and played with Leo Smith and Anthony Braxton. He formed the Episteme octet in 1981. He also composed the incidental music to the Broadway production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. He has a wide range of musical styles, including jazz, rhythm u0026 blues, gospel and non-Western music. Davis, who is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians has been praised as a free-jazz piano player, co-leader, or sideman in various ensembles. These ensembles include the ones that had Smith as their bandleader between 1974 and 1977. Davis is a professor of music at University of California San Diego. His opera Wakonda’s Dream is about a modern Native American family and how their history affects them. His latest opera, Lilith (libretto: Allan Havis), will be given its world premiere at UCSD’s Conrad Prebys Music Center on December 4, 2009. This story will tell the story of Adam’s first wife, and it will be set in modern times.
