Trombonist Shines in Concert and Class
Published: April 13, 2021
Amanda Davidson, Principal Trombone for the San Antonio Symphony, visited Greenville College on March 26 and 27 as part of the Schoenhals Fine Arts Symposium. Davidson performed for students and faculty during a chapel service on the 26th and also shared her personal testimony of faith. She performed a full recital later that evening in the Whitlock Music Center, accompanied on piano by Assistant Professor of Music Catherine Burge. Introducing Amanda to a symposium audience the next day, Louise Weiss, interim chair of the music department, called the performance "spectacular," adding, "She wowed us all!"
Through the informal question and answer session to follow, Davidson's audience learned that wowing listeners isn't new for the gifted musician. At age 30, her extensive performance resume includes playing with the Baltimore, Houston, Kansas City, and North Carolina Symphonies, the National Symphony and the New York Philharmonic, where she gained distinction as the Philharmonic's first permanent female brass player since its founding in 1842. She has toured internationally as a member of the Christian ensemble, Eurobrass, and has taught master classes at several universities.
A native of Oakland, Maryland, Davidson began playing the trombone at age six. Her enjoyment of the instrument blossomed in middle school, and she developed a serious commitment then to study and practice. She soon outgrew what her early band instructors could teach her. This led to her eventual visit to the University of West Virginia. There, Keith Jackson, professor of trombone and euphonium, agreed to provide Davidson with a single, one-hour lesson. If she showed promise, he would likely pass her on to a graduate assistant for subsequent lessons. The hour session with Jackson, however, turned into a two-hour session.
"I played everything he asked," she said. "He had me sight read. I played every scale probably known to man! I played stuff I prepared. I played duets." It was only after Davidson worked extensively with Jackson that she discovered his response to their initial lesson. She laughs as she shares his account, "When he walked out of the room he wanted to get down on both knees and say, 'Please let me teach her!' or something like that!" Jackson took Davidson on as his personal student. Davidson came to know him as a humble man and servant leader, who would set his own pride aside in recognizing that this prize student would truly flourish under instruction beyond what he could offer. Davidson finished her high school years studying with Jackson and gained valuable experience playing alongside college musicians under his leadership. But, for her undergraduate work, she applied to and was accepted at The Julliard School of Music. She studied at Julliard under Joseph Alessi, and received her bachelor of music degree in 2004.
Davidson acknowledged an early awareness that her musical talent was God-given, but credits years of hard work and persistence as vital to its development.
She chose to play "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" for her Greenville College chapel audience, a tender musical introduction to her message of personally experiencing "God with us." Davidson reminded listeners that God always reveals Himself to sincere seekers and told of God's unfailing faithfulness to her in placing special persons in her path to guide her growth along the way.
Her symposium reflections revealed those special people by name - caring elementary and middle school band directors who handed her off to other, more proficient instructors; and the university brass professor, Jackson, who regarded his time teaching her as a gift. She also acknowledged prayer as a continual, key influence in her choices of instructors, schools, and work.
The Lawrence R. and Ruth Boyd Schoenhals Christian Lectureship in the Fine and Performing Arts exposes students to outstanding musicians and visual artists who have not compromised their artistic integrity or their Christian testimony. Greenville College has hosted the event each year since 1983.
