Trombonist Amanda Davidson featured at upcoming symphony performance in Beeville

 The San Antonio Symphony, under the direction of Assistant Conductor Akiko Fujimoto, returns to Beeville for an exciting performance celebrating the works of Beethoven on Tuesday, Feb.21, at A. C. Jones High School Auditorium at 7:30 pm.

This year, the Symphony’s San Antonio offerings include a Beethoven Festival, from which the Beeville program has been selected, with the famous composer’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” the crowning jewel for the evening. No composer has changed history more than Beethoven and his symphonies are more compelling in terms of audience appeal than those of any other composer.

The program also includes Grondahl’s Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra, with the solo played by Amanda Davidson.

The concert is sponsored by the Beeville Concert Association with generous support from the Joe Barnhart Foundation, the Texas Commission on the Arts and Coastal Bend College, as well as funds from many local sponsors, benefactors, patrons and friends.

Davidson is currently Principal Trombone of the San Antonio Symphony, a position she has held since 2004. Born in Oakland, Maryland, Davidson began playing the trombone at the age of six. Her studies started with Harold Hudnall and continued with Keith Jackson, professor of trombone and euphonium at West Virginia University. She received her Bachelor of Music Degree from The Juilliard School in 2004, studying with Joseph Alessi.

As an orchestral musician, Davidson has played with numerous orchestras. She was the Associate Principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic for two seasons from 2009-2011. She also played with the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Baltimore, Houston, Kansas City, and North Carolina Symphonies. She was the Assistant Principal trombonist of the Lyric Opera of San Antonio from 2005-2009. As a soloist, Davidson performed with the San Antonio Symphony and the Deep Creek Symphony in McHenry, Maryland.

As a chamber musician, she is a member of the San Antonio Brass Quintet, which performs throughout South Texas, presenting educational outreach programs and an annual three-performance concert series. She can be heard on the recording Slide Partners: 100 Years of American Trombone Virtuosity, Arthur Pryor and Joseph Alessi, on which she performed in the trombone quartet segment.

Davidson has been a guest artist at the International Women’s Brass Conference, the Big XII Trombone Conference held at Texas Tech University in Lubbock and Trombone Days held annually at Baylor University in Waco. She has taught master classes at several other universities in Texas and at Boston University. In summer 2007, Davidson toured Germany with the Christian brass group, Eurobrass, and, in summer 2006, she taught and performed at the Seoul Trombone Ensemble Summer Music Festival in South Korea.

Davidson has taught privately at several universities, namely Our Lady of the Lake University  and St. Mary’s University, both in San Antonio, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., and currently at Trinity University in San Antonio. Davidson is an Edwards artist, performing on Edwards trombones.