Peter Graffam Davis (March 3, 1936 – February 13, 2021)[1][2] was an American opera and classical music critic. He was the classical music critic for the magazineNew York from 1980 until 2007.[3] He also wrote forThe New York Times,Musical America, andOpera News among other publications.[4][5][6] He previously worked forThe New York Times and authored the book,The American Opera Singer.[7][8]
Davis was born inConcord, Massachusetts, on March 3, 1936.[9] His father, E. Russell Davis, worked as a vice president for theBank of Boston; his mother, Susan (Graffam) Davis, was a housewife. Davis was raised in nearbyLincoln. He developed a keen interest inopera during his teenage years, compiling a record collection and attending concerts held inBoston.[9]
Davis studied music atHarvard College, graduating with abachelor's degree in 1958. Several months before histhird year, he did a tour of the summer music festivals in Europe. He subsequently spent one year at theStuttgart Hochschule für Musik,[9] before undertakingpostgraduate studies atColumbia University.[9][10] There, he studied underJack Beeson andOtto Luening, and earned amaster's degree in composition in 1962.[10] By 1967, Davis was the music editor ofHigh Fidelity andMusical America as well as the New York music correspondent forThe Times of London.[1][11]
Davis first worked as a music critic forThe New York Times in 1967. He started off authoring freelance articles, before becoming the paper's Sunday music editor seven years later. This enabled him to commission other writers for articles, in addition to his everyday reviews of recordings, concerts, and first recitals. He subsequently became critic forNew York magazine in 1981. He critiqued all genres of classical music; his specialty and passion lay with opera andvocal music. He was also noted for writing disapprovingly of up-and-coming music and composers who he believed were overrated, such asPhilip Glass andBeverly Sills.[9] Davis published the bookThe American Opera Singer in 1997.[7] It chronicled modern American performers, applauding their versatility while criticizing many for being "superficial workhorses".[9]
After over a quarter of a century withNew York, Davis was requested to sign an "agreement of separation" in June 2007.[12] The magazine decided to abolish the full-time position of classical music critic. Davis stated that this was "euphemistic for being fired",[12] and lamented how "classical music is of less and less interest to [the editorial leadership]".[13] Consequently, he returned toThe New York Times as a freelancer and was a regular contributor toOpera News andMusical America.[9]
Davis married Scott Parris in 2009. They remained married until the former's death.[9] Davis suffered a stroke in 2018. He died on February 13, 2021, atMount Sinai West in New York City. He was 84, and suffered a brief illness prior to his death.[14]
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