American violinist and composer, Calyssa Davidson, is a multifaceted artist whose wide range of interests has led to international performances and tours with major orchestras, bands and solo recordings for several independent films, television programs, and albums. She has composed for numerous BBC programs, and has held the positions of Principal Second Violin and then Leader of the RCM Film Orchestra in London. Winner of the Leni Fe Bland Award, Davidson made her orchestral debut at the age of 13 performing Wieniawski’s ‘Legende, Op. 17’. Most recently, Davidson composed and recorded the solo violin score for the six episode BBC documentary series, “The Story of China” and two BBC TWO documentaries, “Normandy ’44: The Battle Beyond D-Day” and “Shakespeare’s Mother: The Secret Life of a Tudor Woman”. She has performed alongside rock star Rick Springfield during a sold out concert at the Verizon Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas for the NBC TV Network Christmas Special. The show aired on NBC nation-wide and was rebroadcast on five other major networks in the US. She can also be seen in Springfield’s music video, “Christmas With You”. Davidson studied at the Colburn School of Performing Arts and was a member of the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony for seven years, serving as Associate Concertmaster for two and Concertmaster during the last three years. Beginning in 2002, she spent three successive summers as a participant in the Music Academy of the West’ MERIT Program returning to the Academy in 2010 and 2011 as a fellow on a full scholarship to study with famed violinist, Zvi Zeitlin. She has earned her Bachelor of Music (Hons) Degree in Violin Performance from the Royal College of Music in London, England where she was supported by an Alice Templeton Scholarship and a Robert McFadzean Whyte Award Scholarship. In July 2017, Davidson will graduate with a double Master’s Degree from the Royal College of Music in both Violin Performance and Composition for Screen under the tutelage of former Academy of St. Martin in the Fields leader and director, Adrian Levine, and ‘Call The Midwife’ composer, Maurizio Malagnini and Howard Davidson. Amongst others, Davidson has also studied with world-renowned violinists, Ivry Gitlis, Gilles Apap, Martin Chalifour and Cynthia Fleming.
