Class of: 2017

Shawn W. Davern

Shawn W. Davern (CFA’17) of Woodbridge, Va., a music educator, composer, and trombonist, is director of bands at Forest Park High School. “I recently completed a composition written for trombone soloist Brittany Lasch (CFA’16) and pianist Thomas Weaver (CFA’12),” he writes. “It premiered May 8, 2021, via a virtual concert series through Astral Artists, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit intensive program that specializes in developing the early careers of extraordinary classical musicians.” Shawn’s composition, “based on our wonderful collective experiences during our time at Boston University,” is titled Sonata for Trombone & Piano: “Nostalgia Bostonia.” He writes in the program notes, it is “a musical love letter to the city of Boston and all of the wonders that the metropolis holds within. The subtitle derives its namesake from the numerous nostalgic aspects of the city as well as the Boston University alumni publication of the same name. Each movement of the piece is inspired by a different significant aspect of the city and is coupled with a contrasting style of music.” Follow Shawn on Instagram @shawnwdavern. Learn more about his work, and listen to his composition, at shawnwdavern.com.

From the Fall 2022 issue.