Dr. Laryssa (Laura) Davis is an American pianist, organist, and conductor, a Ukraine native of Finnish and Ukrainian descent.  She holds the Doctoral Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied with Mark Clinton (student of John Perry). Dr. Davis has also studied organ with Steven Egler and Christopher Marks, and conducting with Therees Tkach-Hibbard and Alla Rastrygina.  She debuted in New York City at Yamaha Concert Hall in October, 2009 as part of the Perrenoud Foundation International Competition, where she was given a special judges' appreciation for musicality: "We heard many virtuosos, but your musicality is rare..."  In July, 2009, Dr. Davis completed her study of the Taubman Approach at the Golandsky Institute in Princeton, NJ, under Edna Golandsky.  Dr. Davis is a winner of two travel grants from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: a Hixson-Lied Presentation of Scholarly and Creative Activity Grant and a School of Music Award for her performances in Austria, September 2010, at the Johannes Brahms International Competition in Pörtschach and House der Musik in Vienna.  The focus of her expertise is music of Johannes Brahms, Sergei Prokofiev and Piano Improvisation. Dr. Davis is currently a member of professional organizations, such as Americans for the Arts, the American National Association of Music Teachers, the College Music Society, the American Brahms Society, the American Guild of Organists, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society.

Laura Davis began her musical studies at age 5.  By age 12 she was performing advanced music, such as The Poem-Legend in E minor, op. 12 by Ukrainian composer Victor Kosenko.  At age 14 she was awarded first prize at the Ukrainian National Camp Competition in piano and voice.  Dr. Davis received her first Diploma in Piano Performance at Poltava Musical College, in honor of V. Lysenko, followed by a Bachelors Degree at Kirovograd State Pedagogical University in the Ukraine. Her musical career has balanced both performing and managerial skills.  For several years, Dr. Davis served as Music Department Head at County Professional Unions, and Musical Director and Assistant Conductor of the Ukrainian Folk Choir Kalyna, an eighty member group that toured Europe.

Due to the turmoil in the Ukraine following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Dr. Davis switched her educational objective to business and obtained a Masters Degree in International Management from the Ukrainian Academy of Foreign Trade.  This course of study was followed by twelve years in sales management positions at major international companies. Music, however, was always her first love.  In 2004, Dr. Davis returned to her musical career as a faculty member of the State Conservatory at Istanbul University in Turkey.  In 2006, she was accepted into the graduate piano performance and pedagogy programs at five American universities.

Her research, Performance Anxiety: How to Prevent and Eliminate a Problem, received a grant and was presented at the Michigan State Conference of Music in January, 2008.  Dr. Davis has traveled to more than thirty countries, speaks four languages, and has performed in the USA, Austria, Japan, Turkey, and the Ukraine.  Her performing ability was recognized in masterclasses with world-renowned pianists and professors Andrzej Dutkiewicz (The Frederic Chopin University of Music, Poland), Edna Golandsky (New York City), Malcolm Bilson (Cornell University, Ithaca, NY), and Mr. Connor Linehan (Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra).

Dr. Davis enjoys imparting her love and knowledge of musical arts to her students.  She has built a solid professional career as solo and collaborative pianist and organist, educator, conductor, vocal coach in Russian Lyric Diction, and historian.  Dr. Davis continues to refine her performances and recordings, and is currently investigating the effectiveness of teaching methods with regard to comprehensive research and psychological analysis.  Her articles on American Music Education topics have also been published in the Ukrainian Journal of Scientific Articles (2010).  She is also an accomplished historical keyboard player and an advanced pianist in all musical styles, including popular and jazz idioms.

In October 2011, Dr. Davis completed a first disc of her professional recording project "Piano World of Laura Davis" with a lecture-recital, dedicated to the Visions Fugitives Op.22 by Sergei Prokofiev. Presently, she works a new CD, piano and organ works by Johannes Brahms. Her upcoming project for 2012-13, Romantic Scandinavia, is dedicated to lesser-known Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish composers.

Faith in God is an important aspect of Dr. Davis’s life.  She is knowledgeable in both liturgies, Catholic and Orthodox, and Protestant worship. For several years, Dr. Davis has assisted in service music at numerous churches in Michigan and Nebraska.

Dr. Davis has a great passion to the Visual Arts and Fashion.

Currently, Dr. Davis resides in Omaha, NE with her husband Michael Davis and Persian cat, Hilton.