Michael Davison holds a B. M. from the Eastman School of Music, M. M. from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and D. M. A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has been head of the jazz and brass programs at the University of Richmond since 1986, a former chair of the music education division of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the College Music Society, is presently the president of the Virginia Chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators and on the Board of Directors for the National Trumpet Competition.

As a classical musician, Davison has performed with the Whitewater Brass Quintet, Wisconsin Brass Quintet, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Brass, the Empire Brass Quintet and the Brass Band of Battle Creek. As a jazz musician, he has worked with such artists as Michael Brecker, Curtis Fuller, Chris Vadala, Gene Bertoncini, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, and Natalie Cole. In 2002 he was the featured soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra featuring the music of Harry James and he recorded Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 with the Interlochen Faculty Orchestra. In 2003, Dr. Davison was featured soloist with the Santiago de Cuba Symphony Orchestra. Davison is a prolific recording artist with numerous jazz and classical albums to his credit and the author of many articles for Down Beat magazine, the International Trumpet Guild Journal, the Jazz Educators Journal, and the G. I. A. Quarterly. Recently, Dr. Davison wrote a documentary of Cuban music and Latin Jazz for public radio. He has published several jazz combo compositions with Walrus Music and has written two transcription books of trumpeter Randy Brecker. A world traveler in the name of jazz and music education, Davison has led a group of jazz educators to South Africa, music educators to China, jazz performers to Cuba and taught in Lyon, France at A.I.M.R.A., the French international jazz school.

Since 1987 he has been on the trumpet faculty at the International Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan and is presently chair of the brass division.

Davison is a clinician for the Edwards Instrument Company, a performer and clinician on the Akai Electric Valve Instrument (EVI), and in great demand throughout the country as a classical and jazz teacher and performer. Dr. Davison is active in the International Trumpet Guild, has performed in or judged the finals at 11 ITG conferences, and hosted the 1999 ITG Conference at the University of Richmond.