CLIVE DAVIS (1932-2026)
Dear Clive Davis Institute Community,
On the morning of June 22, 2026, Clive Jay Davis — our Institute's founder, benefactor, and unwavering supporter — passed away peacefully at his home in Manhattan at the age of 94. His presence, generosity, and steady guidance will be profoundly missed.
On behalf of the entire Clive Davis Institute community, we extend our deepest condolences to the Davis family: his children, Fred, Doug, Mitch, and our beloved colleague, friend, teacher, and CDI associate chair, Lauren; his eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; and his partner, Greg Schriefer.
His 25 years of stewardship have left the Institute on a strong footing. The mission he championed — preparing the next generation of music and media industry leaders, educators, scholars, artists, and entrepreneurs — will endure for as long as there is a music industry to lead.
His vision lives on in every student who follows the entrepreneurial and progressive educational path he helped build, and in those who steadfastly support the efforts of the Institute. He did not have to found a transformative institution at Tisch. We will always be deeply grateful that he did.
As students, faculty, mentors, alumni, families, and staff, we are part of something rare — a community forever shaped by an institutional and pedagogical commitment to a more sustainable, humane, equitable, and artist-centered industry. Mr Davis enabled the creation of CDI and its mission. This Institute is a huge part of his legacy, and now it is ours to carry forward.
Ben Sisario wrote a wonderful and informative obituary in the New York Times. Please do read it to get a more complete understanding of the person who was Clive Davis and his professional accomplishments.
With Gratitude and Respect,
Nicholas S. Sansano, Chair
The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music
Tisch School of the Arts, New York University
