ABOUT

Jordyn Davis is redefining the landscape of contemporary music with her extraordinary talent and groundbreaking achievements. A Detroit native, Davis stands out not only for her musicianship as a bassist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist but also for her trailblazing role as the first African-American woman to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition from Michigan State University. In an unprecedented feat, she became the first student at Michigan State to receive simultaneous degrees in Music Composition and Jazz Studies. After completing a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies at Michigan State, where she served as a graduate teaching assistant under the mentorship of Rodney Whitaker, she relocated to Brooklyn, NY. In 2021, she was named one of two recipients of the inaugural Jazz Leader Fellowship at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. In 2024, she was named one of three inaugural New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowship recipients with the American Composers Orchestra. 

Davis’s artistry defies categorization, effortlessly traversing genres from Jazz, Folk, Indie Rock, Musical Theater & Contemporary Classical to music for film and television. Her compositions, which embody a profound sense of empathy &  social consciousness, have been featured on PBS’s “Music for Social Justice” and commissioned by prestigious institutions such as the Kennedy Center, the New York Philharmonic, the Juilliard School Preparatory Division, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Michigan State University Bands, and Detroit Chamber Strings. Her impressive roster of collaborators & mentors in the music industry includes luminaries like Micheal Dease, Craig Harris, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Maria Schneider, Jerome Jennings, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lin Manuel-Miranda, John Kander, Jaime Lozano, Shirazette Tinnin,  and L Morgan Lee.

Beyond the stage and studio, Davis is deeply committed to education and mentorship. She has inspired countless young musicians through her work with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Girls Rock Detroit, and Science Gallery. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of music, individuality, empowerment, and community. Her dedication to nurturing the next generation of artists is as profound as her contributions to the music industry. With such accomplishments, Jordyn Davis is undoubtedly a name to watch in music.

LISTEN

Chamber Music

What Have You Done? (Who Are You?) for violin & viola (2018)

• Commissioned by the Detroit Composers Project

Acquiescence for flute, Bb clarinet & piano (2019)

SHATTERED for soprano voice, cello, double bass & piano (2019)

• Commissioned by the the Steven R. Gerber Trust for Fresh Inc Festival

Songs for Little Red Riding Hood, for String Quartet (2019)

• Commissioned by the Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings

STAND UP (for Breonna Taylor) for Tuba, Electric Bass, String Quartet, Drum-set & Spoken Word (2020)

• Commissioned by Science Gallery Detroit in Collaboration with Cherise Morris

STAND UP (for Breonna Taylor) arranged for String Quartet & Spoken Word (2021)

• Commissioned by Crossing Borders Music in Collaboration with Cherise Morris

WHERE DO WE BELONG? for Brass Trio (2021)

• Comissioned by Brass Legacy

impressions for Brass quintet (2024)

• ComMissioned by the Juilliard School Preparatory Division

Jazz & Film

La Croix Void, for septet (2019)

Syzygy, for septet (2019)

Forgotten Promise, for quintet (2019)

Still I Rise, for Big Band (2020)

Trifles and Tribulations (2016)

Primal (2016)

On Being Alone (2016)

Transcendence (2017)

The Sight Unseen (2025)

Large Ensemble

WAVES, for wind ensemble (2020)

• This work was commissioned and premiered by: Kappa Kappa Psi, Zeta Epsilon Chapter, Tau Beta Sigma, Zeta Epsilon Chapter, Phi Mu Alpha, Gamma Epsilon Chapter, Sigma Alpha Iota,Alpha Lambda Chapter, Michigan State University College of Music Running Start Program, The Michigan State University Symphony Band

GREY’S WAY for String Orchestra (2022)

• Commissioned by Niles West High School Orchestras

As I Am, for orchestra (2023)

• Commissioned via Composing Inclusion, a new partnership between The Juilliard School’s Preparatory Division, the New York Philharmonic, American Composers Forum, and the Sphinx Venture Fund.

inquiries & contact

For inquiries on lessons, booking, performances, commissions, purchasing/licensing, clinics/appearances, Please fill out the form below and I will respond as soon as possible! Cheers!