Steph Davis, marimba with Brian Stulligross,violin Amy Advocat, bass clarinet

The program “memory & will” looks to the past and imagines the future from an Afrocentric gaze. Where the first half is concerned with the liberating power of traditional African balafon music and African-American spirituals, the second half ushers in a new, Afrofuturist aesthetic representing the imaginative sonic world of tomorrow.

Included in the Washington Post’s “23 for 23: Composers and performers to watch this year” composer and marimbist Steph Davis is engaged in deep explorations of acoustic and historical resonance. A crisp, controlled performer, Davis brings bright humanity and expressive depth to contemporary pieces, and has created thoughtful, captivating arrangements of spirituals.