Steph Davis is a marimbist and cultural activist. Their music engages traditions, epistemologies, and aesthetics from the African diaspora as means for uncovering truthful historiographies, finding creative self-actualization, and reaching for collective liberation. Hailed by The Washington Post as a “crisp, controlled” performer who “is engaged in deep explorations of acoustic and historical resonance,” Steph is a marimba soloist and chamber musician touring throughout the United States. Integrating Black and Western European classical music, traditional African American spirituals, and Ghanaian gyil songs, their performances explore the cultural and political landscape of the African diaspora. Through their arrangements and commissions, Steph has contributed over 20 works by Black composers to the marimba’s solo and chamber repertoire, in addition to premiering dozens of contemporary works for marimba and vibraphone. Highlights of their ’24-‘25 season includes debuts with The Celebrity Series of Boston and Ashmont Hill Chamber Music, music and dance collaborations with Jenny Oliver (choreographer), and a performance-installation with Dzidzor (spoken word) at the Goethe-Institut Boston. Steph proudly endorses Marimba One instruments and mallets as a Marimba One Premier Artist.

Steph is a teaching artist with Castle of our Skins and Instructor of music theory at the Boston Conservatory. Steph has authored and co-authored several culturally-responsive K-college curricula around Black classical music, published by Castle of our Skins. Steph has presented performances, masterclasses, and lecture-recitals at the University of Central Florida, University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Center of Mallet Percussion Research at Kutztown University, and the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion.

Steph received their Master of Music in marimba performance from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where they studied with Nancy Zeltsman. They also hold a Bachelor of Music in percussion performance from the Conservatory. They have been awarded residencies at the Goethe-Institut Boston, Avaloch Farm Music Institute, and Boston Center for the Arts.

Steph resides on unceded land of the Neponset band of the Massachusett tribe, bordertown Boston, MA.