Dave Ragland

Dave Ragland is a four-time EMMY nominated composer, vocalist, pianist, and conductor. His interest in music began at an early age, when he would make up songs on the school playground. As he told Nashville Classical Radio in an interview, he composed one of his first songs in the fifth grade: “I had an assignment to find a song that matched the book I was reading for book report presentations. I couldn’t find a song that matched so I went to the piano and wrote one.”

Since his early experiences with songwriting, Ragland has amassed an impressive resume. Hailed as “über-talented” by The Nashville Scene, Ragland received an EMMY nomination for composition and music direction for Frist Art Museum’s “NICK CAVE FEAT. NASHVILLE.” He received a second EMMY nomination for his composition “I’m Troubled.” Ragland was also nominated for Best Director of a Musical by First Night Honors for Wildcard Productions’ run of “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill.” 

Ragland arranged “Lift Every Voice and Sing” for GRAMMY-nominated opera singer Lawrence Brownlee for “Concert for Inauguration Day” presented by Washington National Opera. In Nashville Opera’s first ever commission, Ragland collaborated with librettist Mary McCallum to create “ONE VOTE WON” – an opera commemorating the centennial of Women’s Suffrage. Ragland, in collaboration with Inversion Vocal Ensemble, shackled feet DANCE, and Diaspora Orchestra, debuted his opera “STEAL AWAY” as Artist-in-Residence for OZ Arts.

For the past three seasons, Ragland has served as Chorusmaster for Nashville Symphony’s Let Freedom Sing. He was the 2020 GRADY-RAYAM Negro Spirituals Foundation Composer-in Residence, and is a member of the inaugural cohort of composers for the National Teachers of Singing (NATS) Mentoring Program.

Ragland is the Artistic Director of Inversion Vocal Ensemble, a regionally touring vocal collective that has performed with Brandi Carlile, GRAMMY-nominee Ruby Amanfu, Marcus Hummon, and Levi Hummon. Previous engagements with Inversion include The National Civil Rights Museum, The National Museum of African-American Music, and The Ryman Auditorium.

Ragland was a Composer Mentor for 91Classical’s inaugural Student Composer Fellowship. He serves on the board of American Choral Directors Association, Tennessee Chapter, and is a proud member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

—adapted by Sophia Janevic from daveragland.com

This profile was created in 2023 as part of the Song of America Fellowship Program, a project of the Classic Song Research Initiative between the Hampsong Foundation and the University of Michigan, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.

Sources: 

Dave Ragland, daveragland.com

Phelps, Colleen. “Six Questions with Student Composer Fellowship Mentor Dave Ragland.” Nashville Classical Radio, February 11, 2020. https://91classical.org/post/six-questions-with-student-composer-fellowship-mentor-dave-ragland/.