A California State University, Bakersfield emeritus was recently recognized by the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra (BSO) for his work as a composer.

Dr. Doug Davis, who was a music professor at CSUB for over 30 years, received the orchestra’s first Catherine M. Urner Composer Discovery Project award for his piece “Dust Swirls Then Speaks (Journey to Hope). The piece was performed during BSO’s season finale concert on May 4.

“I am most pleased that I received the award and I’m most pleased about the initiative to support the music of local composers by the symphony thanks to this gift from the Urner family,” Dr. Davis said.

The award, part of BSO’s Growing Our Own initiative, was created with the support of the Barbara (Urner) Johnson and Gordon K. Johnson Charitable Trust and was open to all Kern County residents.

“We definitely are looking to nurture local talent in Bakersfield and Kern County, and we thought ‘how can we create more opportunities for them?’” said BSO Music Director Stilian Kirov. “This is how the idea was born of creating this competition for local composers to submit their work.”

Dr. Davis’ composition was inspired by John Steinbeck’s seminal novel “The Grapes of Wrath” and was written for a CSUB event in 2014 celebrating the 75th anniversary of the novel’s publication.

It is meant to reflect the arduous journey that many families made due to the Dust Bowl, a period in the 1930s when severe drought and dust storms in the Midwest led to a mass exodus of the population.

“I wanted to capture some of the sense of this incredible situation that befell many Americans after the Depression, that feeling of what it must be like to look out on a world you can’t live in anymore,” he said.

The piece starts off quietly, reflecting the desolate landscape and the seriousness of the situation, before transitioning into a more determined, upbeat tone.

“For many families it really became a journey to hope, and I wanted to end it on that note. I wanted to leave the listener in that hopeful and enthusiastic concept of ‘they’ve arrived,’” Dr. Davis said. “When you think of all our family histories, our ancestors had to make these journeys. In a certain sense, I wanted to say this piece is dedicated to all of us.”

While writing the piece was sometimes a challenge, Dr. Davis said he enjoyed the experience.

“It was quite the labor, but it was pretty joyous for me to compose. I had my bit of fun with it,” he said.

Kirov said Dr. Davis was selected for the inaugural Composer Discovery Project award because his piece stood out with its unique composition. All submissions were anonymous.

“We were looking for an original voice, something that is more unique,” he said. “Doug Davis’ work stood out with its professionalism and originality. There’s a certain level of professionalism in how it’s written and orchestrated. Dr. Davis was the clear winner for us.”

Kirov was excited BSO was able to share the piece with the audience at its concert earlier this month.

“We are very happy with it,” he said. “I thought the performance went really well. It was very well-received by the audience.”

Dr. Davis enjoyed hearing the piece performed, although he was apprehensive about it at first.

“It’s always delightful to have my music played, but it’s also nerve-wracking to expose your creative efforts to so many,” he said. “With music, it goes directly into your system. There’s no way you avoid what’s happening in a certain sense with music. I think the audience was very appreciative.”