MALDEN – Mayor Gary Christenson was pleased to welcome internationally renowned musician Byron “BK” Davis to Malden. Davis, the first Black “Steinway Artist” – from Davenport, Iowa – will be hosted by Mystic Side Opera (MSO) at the Wilbur Fiske Haven House on Pleasant Street for a series of performances from August 17–20. The Steinway Artist designation is an honor bestowed on pianists with an impressive body of work who perform on Steinway pianos exclusively. BK Davis made history as he took his place alongside music legends Elton John, Billy Joel, Herbie Hancock, Harry Connick, Jr. and the immortal Steinway Artists including George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Sergei Rachmaninoff. With a career spanning 40 years, Davis has proved to be a master of various musical genres, including Jazz, R&B, Gospel, Soul and Pop.
The performances present a unique opportunity to witness Davis’s talent live. Davis has also signed-on with MSO as Composer for their original opera in development, “Shiloh’s Razor,” which is based on Malden author Michael Cloherty’s book “Able Bodied: Murder at the Malden Bank” about the first murder during a bank robbery in the United States, which occurred in Malden in 1863.
Davis’ first performance was held on August 17 for Malden Chamber of Commerce Members. Performances will also be held at 7:30 p.m. from Friday, August 18, through Sunday, August 20. For tickets, please contact Gene Sticco (339-224-2555) or Robert Crawford at RCrawford@MysticSideOpera.org or 617-992-6588.