JESSIE MONTGOMERY, the Grammy award winning Black American composer and violinist, amazing at strings. Musical America’s Composer of the Year 2023: Composer in residence at Bard; and a Sphinx Virtuosi success story, they’re the Detroit based string group that supports Black and Latino composers - she began playing for them at 16.
Born 1981, she grew up on New York’s vibrant lower east side, which she credits with her passion for social activism and community. Started with piano trios at 11. And then at a summer music camp in Rhode Island was told she had a "spark" in her eye for writing music and realized life as a composer could be A Thing.
Now based in Chicago where she was til recently composer in residence with the Chicago symphony, she made her name with Strum when she was with the Catalyst quartet, and has won all number of awards now with performances all over the world including her Banner for strings at the Proms, 2021.
She says:
"I'm standing on the shoulders of all the Black composers in America who didn't get to have the kind of attention that I'm receiving right now. I'm very aware of that. I feel a responsibility, but also a joy, and I hope that this moment becomes more of a model for how we move forward"
MUSIC: Starburst
Presented by composer Joan Tower for International Women’s Month in March, written and produced by Charlotte Wilson for WMHT
