"This composer works extensively in special-music programs for inner-city schools while fulfilling commissions for the likes of the National Symphony Orchestra. Her pieces often have ethereal titles and an underlying motion you'd characterize as restless, were it not so tension-free. Similarly, Celestial Turning has a bedrock of quasi-minimalist cells of repeated melody and rhythm, over which terse gestures and graceful glissandos unfold ... the music's sharp-focused clarity of vision gives it a sense of expressive imperative - the piece says this is the way it had to be."
                                                        P H I L A D E L P H I A   I N Q U I R E R ,   2 0 0 3
 

"Leonard Slatkin led the orchestra in a specially commissioned 'encore' by the gifted Tina Davidson - Beyond the Blue Horizon. It is a lovely work - lively, jostling, somehow aquatic and orchestrated with clarity and precision."
                                             T I M   P A G E ,   W A S H I N G T O N   P O S T ,   2 0 0 2

"It is not enough that Tina Davidson goes into high schools and community centers and coaxes composition out of unsuspecting victims. She also remains a composer with a consistently persuasive voice of her own.

"For Paper, Glass, String & Wood, premiered at the Fleisher Art Memorial, Davidson employed not only a professional string quartet, but two others comprised of students from Settlement Music School and The Girard Music program. The idea was for the fledglings to play elbow-to-elbow with the pros, gaining experience in real music, and as more than one optimist has put it, perhaps consider music as a career option. Such acts of altruism rarely succeed in their dual mission. They mostly achieve their social goal; it's the real-music part that gets lost in the process.

"But that's where Paper, Glass, String & Wood is different. It is real music, with structure, mood, novelty, and harmonic sophistication - with haunting melodies that grow out of complex, repetitive rhythms."
                         P E T E R   D O B R I N ,   P H I L A D E L P H I A   I N Q U I R E R ,   2 0 0 1

"In Bleached Thread, Sister Thread (1991), written for the Mendelssohn String Quartet (and performed magnificently by them on this disc), Davidson's stimulus is a poem by her sister, Eva, about the threads that bind relationships together. From this she creates, in music, 'a dark rich fabric full of color and boundless energy' about 'life and relationships renewed.' At the conclusion 'the piece lifts off, detaches from the earth and ascends in a glowing circular fashion.' Davidson's own poetic imagery works on our imaginations because it is allied with a tremendously solid composition. The energy and vitality of Bleached Thread, Sister Thread create a sense of journey so palpable and persuasive that the music and poetry flow together in one unified experience."
                                        L U K E   H O W A R D ,   A M E R I C A N   M U S I C ,   2 0 0 0

"The highlight of this concert of 'Music of a New Century' was the cantata,
River of Love, River of Light (1998) by Tina Davidson. Based on Marion texts, this is an exploration of the Virgin of Guadeloupe with strongly defined rhythms and repetitions; quickness of the opening and closing phrases contrast with deliberation, in the middle repetition in Latin is a totally different melody, sensual feeling and effect. The emotional center of this piece is the High Seas section: piano, marimba and cello create a seductive rolling rhythm of strong turbulence and wind, as 'our ship flounders in the waves; the waters enter into our souls.' The fugal Alleluia movement rises to a peak in a burst of light as 'two realms become one.' The final section of Hopkins text is 'The Blessed Virgin Compared to the Air We Breathe,' as the instruments set a rushing, tumbling sound matching the color of the text."
                                                 D E B O R A H   K R A V E T Z ,   P E N N   S O U N D S

The Delight of Angels for string quartet is "a state replete with sweet tunes layered among the strings, fragments that circle in and out of consciousness, sustaining slender, shimmering textures."
                                                                    P H I L A D E L P H I A   I N Q U I R E R

"Davidson's River of Love, River of Light sets seven texts about the Virgin Mary from sources as varied as Hildegard von Bingen, 16th century translations of Aztec sources, and a poem of Gerald Manley Hopkins. Her musical voice changed with each. A short text by Sor Juana with marimba, tumbled happily with what sounded like a Latin beat, while a meditation by Hildegard echoed with the open intervals of medieval chant. Davidson's spare use of instruments added weight to her ideas. The harp-like marimba writing in 'Hear Me, Hear Me,' the dance rhythms in 'Tla ya,' and the English horn solo in the final section intensified and clarified the mood of each. Her medieval evocation in 'Antiphon for the Virgin' and the nervous layers of choral writing in the 'Alleluia' set those above the others."
                                D A N I E L   W E B S T E R ,   P H I L A D E L P H I A   I N Q U I R E R

"Like an engrossing thriller, Tina Davidson's chamber opera Billy and Zelda explores the mystery surrounding two deaths. Premiered by OperaDelaware, the work enthralled the audience. Davidson intertwines the tragic story of a little girl accidentally abandoned in the snow by her mother and a young man whose life is cut short in war. More reflective than dramatic, Billy and Zelda unlocks family secrets as a narrator and neighbor uncover long-suppressed memories. The solo cello underlines the emotional shifts in the narration of Zelda's story, and assumes a strong dramatic presence in the haunting reenactment of her death. Unfolding in a series of poems, the death of Billy reaches a musical climax in the parents' anguished outburst over the loss of their son, before ending gently in an ensemble lullaby of transfiguring beauty."
                                                                  A M E R I C A N   R E C O R D   G U I D E

"Capping composer Tina Davidson's three-year residency, OperaDelaware enlivened the world premiere of her fascinating chamber opera, Billy and Zelda. This intimate piece, set to lyrics and script by the composer's sisters, Eva and Lâle Davidson transfixed the audience seated on the stage of the
Grand Opera House.

"These quiet pieces draw subtly shaded music from Davidson, whose score is filled with gracious melodies, tinged with tender sadness. Zelda's haunting death narrative is punctuated by abrasive musical effects improvised by the cellist. Billy unfolds in a series of poems, sung in aria and ensemble. Only a few spoken exchanges - there are no recitatives - interrupt the lyrical progress of the piece. Billy reaches a musical climax in the parents' grief-stricken outbursts that find resolution in the lullaby for ensemble voices, whose lines float serenely over the strings."
                                                                                          O P E R A   N E W S

"A disc from CRI titled I Hear the Mermaids Singing - music by Philadelphia-based composer Tina Davidson - has given particular pleasure. Davidson's style is eclectic; each of her pieces (and there are six on her disc) has an individual sound, yet they all share certain characteristics. Her music is primarily lyrical and concerned as much with creating atmosphere as with constructing solid musical structures.

"The opening work on the disc, Transparent Victims (1987), is for multiple saxophones - all played here by Marshall Taylor, an over-dubbing virtuoso. Davidson has created accessible music of real substance. The other works on Davidson's disc are equally effective, particularly Bleached Thread, Sister Thread, played with intense commitment by the Mendelssohn String Quartet."
                                                                             C L A S S I C A L   I N S I T E S

"Tina Davidson's new collection of works, entitled I Hear the Mermaids Singing, grapples with profundity. While listening to Davidson's compositions I sense that incandescent glimmer - the fleeting 'why?' of music. Davidson knows why - you can hear it. Her music is primal. Ostinati knock calmly at the door, and thirds resound like emergency vehicle horns sans the usual impatience and anger. What remains are delightful sounds - sounds that make us human and resound in the universe. If these words sound lofty, it is the result of listening to this otherworldly music."
                                                                                      I W C M   J O U R N A L

"The freshest piece here was They Come Dancing, a 15 minute toccata written by Tina Davidson. Ms Davidson has a vivid ear for harmony and orchestral colors. Over sustained pedal tones and quietly pulsating bass patterns, diffuse harmonies - like out-of-focus Copland chords - sound forth and dance."
                                                                                                 T H E   N E W   Y O R K   T I M E S

"Tina Davidson is the very model of a post minimalist composer. That is not to say that her music is formulaic; indeed, it bespeaks a real artistic personality, creating a sensuous texture that can gradually move in a variety of directions - either to a more traditionally tonal gesture or to more rhythmically propulsive sections. What distinguishes this music most for me is not so much this particular sound (seductive as it is) as the manner in which Davidson shapes the telling details within the texture. She has a gift to listen very closely to the microscopic moments in her music and imbue them with real individuality and substance."
                                                                                                  F A N F A R E

As one of the top ten recordings, "The best of 1996 in music; Tina Davidson
I Hear the Mermaids Singing (CRI Emergency): a bunch of fine shorter works by the contemporary muse of Philadelphia. As always with Davidson, the material is accessible without ever being condescending."
                                                                                            C I T Y   P A P E R

"It is My Heart Singing opens with a wailing, lyrical violin melody - the kind of slightly mournful tune you might expect to find wafting across a dusty Turkish town. Commissioned by the music festival, the work is a continuous, meditative swath of sound. String voices fold in and out, repeating undulating rhythms that energize the texture. It is moody and not without mysticism."
                                                           T H E   P H I L A D E L P H I A   I N Q U I R E R

"Tina Davidson's Over Salt River formed the emotional heart of the AIDS Songbook concert. The work begins as a lament, but gradually brightens and rises up the scale. This song became a soaring affirmation of the wonder and beauty of life in the face of death."
                                                        C I T Y   P A P E R   O F   P H I L A D E L P H I A

"Tina Davidson's Fire on the Mountain was commissioned by the Network for New Music, and the network got its money's worth, whatever the cost. Scored for marimba, vibes, and prepared piano, the piece is rhythmically driving, with fascinatingly simple yet lovely harmonic changes. Davidson prepared the piano by inserting screws and erasers into the string. It was intriguing to compare the sound of eraser-thwarted notes and that of the marimba. The percussionists manipulated the sounds of their instruments by hitting them with different implements - rubber mallets, soft mallets, and the hard-edged
wooden sticks.

"But in Davidson's case, the methods were not important; her music would be just as pleasurable if it were scored for a full orchestra or piano alone. The composer makes music satisfying by carefully managing tension and release; it's being able to bring a sense of beauty and emotion to a strict organizational structure, a rarity in any age."
                                                                   P H I L A D E L P H I A   I N Q U I R E R

"Tina Davidson's Cassandra Sings was more interesting. This is a solemn ambitious work that begins with a wailing cadenza for the cello and gradually builds into a knotty complexity. Eventually all devolves into chaos...but the spare, beautiful choral-like melody that follows made for an
effective emotional climax."
                                                                            T I M   P A G E ,   N E W S D A Y

"Tina Davidson's Cassandra Sings provides a transitional piece that bridges the avant-garde with tradition. Her music builds to a climax of tremendous richness, throwing out a soundscape that would seem to be much greater than merely four instruments can produce. An extended coda achieves a resolution of sublime dimensions."
                                                                                                 F A N F A R E

"Tina Davidson's Cassandra Sings is the kind of piece you want to spend some time with. The emotionally intense cello solo at the beginning, belts out a message with a melody very much like a human voice bending under strain and stress. The other instruments sit idly, mute with indifference. Slowly, the other voices rise and overtake her message with dissent. The second half of the piece is a lament. But the mournful music sends a dramatic message - one of hope. Musically the composer's work has a masterly and sensitive command of texture and a wealth of memorable melodies."
                                                                   P H I L A D E L P H I A   I N Q U I R E R

"And the no-school school declared itself with Tina Davidson's Lullaby, a gorgeously gentle piece for variable solo instrument - in this case violin - and an accompanying group that wraps the solo lines in echoes and shadows."
                                                                S T .   L O U I S   P O S T - D I S P A T C H

"The increasingly prominent composer Tina Davidson was represented by a sad, dreamy Lullaby, which may be performed by a wide variety of different forces. It proved entirely successful in the Wolpe instrumentation, with saxophonist sounding particularly beautiful in the
vocally-conceived melodic line."
                                                                  P H I L A D E L P H I A   I N Q U I R E R

"Blood Memory: A Long Quiet After the Call for cello and orchestra is deliciously lyrical, dominated by strings throughout most sections, almost a cello concerto in feel, opening with a round, sensual cello solo. I kept liking the piece more with each turn, 'til I fell in love with it."
                                                                                              W E L C O M A T

Blessings (Sacred Space) for alto saxophone and full orchestra was "written for saxophone virtuoso Marshall Taylor. The piece incorporated a primordial, dissonant mutter developed in percussion and bass. Against that, the saxophone plays long low tones, and the player is asked to improvise. It grows towards a clear, bright unison before the piece seems to open into a broadly lyrical, but rhythmically urgent affirmation. The work showed its distinct profile and its innovative sounds."
                                                                    P H I L A D E L P H I A   I N Q U I R E R

"Woman Dreaming [is] a vividly descriptive piece in which darkness gradually gives way to enlightenment. The transparency of the writing enables Davidson's journey from mysterious, static phrases to nostalgic, jazzy and shimmering statements to come across with crystalline clarity. This is a tightly-knit work in which each instrumental strand adds resonance to the overall structure. Davidson has devised episodes that are succinct and telling. The colors and moods, animated at times by frisky rhythms, are beautifully deployed."
                                                                             P I T T S B U R G H   P R E S S

"My own favorite was probably Tina Davidson's Star Myths, which starts out with serene detached notes - like a science fiction movie maker's vision of space - and ends up capturing the intensity of the real thing."
                                                                                              W E L C O M A T

"Davidson has written music that cries out to be choreographed. In a piquant performance by Reading Symphony Orchestra, Dancers conjured up whirling ghosts with weird, eerie screeches, percussion, and even vocal effects. Davidson's atonal melodies, syncopated rhythms, and a texture woven of jazz, fanfares, and abrupt changes of timbre, draw the listener into a dream space where there is no predicting what will happen next."
                                                                                     R E A D I N G   T I M E S

"Two Beasts from the Forest of Imaginary Beings is a phenomenal work!"
                                                                          S Y M P H O N Y   M A G A Z I N E

"The music of Tina Davidson is making it commercial-disc debut in the recording of the complete Seven Macabre Songs (1979). Based on seven grossly sardonic - yes, macabre - poems by Howard Nemerov, each of Davidson's programmatic pieces is intended to be a poem as well, created, as Davidson says, with a 'tightness, a scarceness of development and the intensity of line inherent in a poem.' But tightness gives a false impression of the extroverted spirit of these unique songs. Sound effects such as forearm rolls, harmonics, and the lucking and strumming of the inner strings create weird and wonderful images - a lot of haunting, fun exhibitionism."
                                                                                                   F A N F A R E