Sarah Davachi | Artist
Sarah Davachi is a Canadian composer and musician born 1987 in Calgary. She is a pianist and organist known for her work in the field of minimalist ambient "drone" music. With a background in electroacoustic music and a penchant for exploring the sonic potential of analog synthesisers, acoustic instruments, and voice, Davachi has carved out a niche for herself in the contemporary music landscape. Davachi developed an early interest in music, studying piano and violin from a young age. Her passion for composition and sound led her to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree in electroacoustic studies at the University of Calgary, where she explored the intersection of acoustics, technology, and musical expression. Subsequently, she obtained a master's degree in electronic music and recording media from Mills College in Oakland, California, before relocating to Los Angeles in 2017 to pursue a PhD in Musicology at UCLA. Davachi's musical output is characterized by a deep sense of patience and restraint, often favouring slowly evolving harmonies and rich, immersive textures. She explores the close intricacies of timbral and temporal space, utilising extended durations and considered harmonic structures that emphasize gradual variations in texture, overtone complexity, psychoacoustic phenomena, drawing inspiration from minimalism, drone music, and medieval and Renaissance music. One of Davachi's notable strengths is her skill with vintage synthesizers and analog recording equipment, such as the Buchla Music Easel and the EMS Synthi 100. She is also a skilled performer on the pipe organ, an instrument she has used to great effect in several of her compositions. As a recording artist, several of Davachi's albums have garnered critical acclaim for their immersive and meditative qualities. Recommended albums include Let Night Come on Bells End the Day (2018), Cantus Descant (2020), Two Sisters (2022), and In Concert & in Residence (2022). Sarah Davachi is also an active scholar and educator, having lectured on sound and music at various institutions. Her academic pursuits and artistic practice are deeply intertwined, with her research informing her creative work and vice versa. Still a young composer, Davachi is gaining respect within music-academic circles. One critic described her as "the closest thing we have to a hybrid of Éliane Radique and Terry Riley. According to the Getty Museum, where she was invited to create experiential soundtracks to Robert Irwin's Central Garden, "Davachi is among the preeminent emerging composers and performers of electroacoustic music today."
Artist Website: sarahdavachi.com
Featured Albums: Sarah Davachi
