“The three standing ovations that Pratt received immediately after Rounds, a Grammy-nominated piece for piano and strings, reinforced the consistently enthusiastic affirmative response the 2022 work has received in more…
“Montgomery’s Rounds and the Bach Keyboard Concerto No. 4 pair exceptionally well, and both are suited to Pratt’s unique technical and interpretive gifts, which include a strong, percussive tone and the…
“‘You could say that it is a debut performance of the Blacknificent 7 as a group,’ said Jessie Montgomery of New York, one of its most prominent members. She curated…
“One of the outcomes of this collaboration was the creation of the opening program in the Chicago Symphony’s 2023–2034 MusicNOW Series, taking place on Dec. 3 and curated by Montgomery. It will…
“Jessie Montgomery’s Grammy-nominated Rounds for solo piano and string orchestra created a dappling watery world, as Debussy met Glass in repeating figures. At times we heard a very strong metric four…
“‘I think our collective is a signifier of things to come,’ says Montgomery, who curated the program of original works — by Thompson, Okpebholo, Ragland, Barnes and Geter — addressing…
“This program connects audiences with the music and ideas of a group of composers and performers who support one another and grow together in our ongoing work. The Blacknificent 7…
Nominated for Best Contemporary Classical Composition: “Montgomery: Rounds,” Jessie Montgomery, composer (Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry and Roomful of Teeth)
“Montgomery’s Banner was commissioned in 2014 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner which became America’s national anthem. As an African American, Montgomery felt that the anthem didn’t apply…
“Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music will welcome acclaimed composer, violinist, and educator, Jessie Montgomery, to Ingram Hall on Thursday, November 9. Montgomery will perform with bassist Eleonore Oppenheim, a…
“Pine is also impressed by composers who are also performers. ‘Once upon a time, there was no such thing as a composer who wasn’t also a performer, or a performer…
“The penultimate movement was Montgomery’s Space. A violinist herself, the composer has written a striking solo cadenza for Bell, and orchestral textures that glittered with touches of harp and percussion.”
“The piece opens with glowing washes and surges of sound, before brass chatterings set the whole orchestra dancing in dotted and syncopated rhythms, with lots of percussion. A dreamy, shimmering…
“Award winning composer Jessie Montgomery talks about her new piece “Snapshots” being performed by the DSO at Meyerson Symphony Orchestra October 14 & 15″
“Jessie Montgomery’s ebullient music, alive with vernacular influences, has made her one of the highest visibility American composers these days. Snapshots, a Dallas Symphony commission, will be premiered in a program…
“Even for composers known for their way with a lyrical line and satisfying harmonies, the fit between the movements was remarkable. Each was imaginative and distinctive while also flowing naturally…
“Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell will perform at the U.S. premiere of his newly commissioned suite, The Elements, for violin and orchestra, with the New York Philharmonic this weekend. The…
“The Virtuosi, Sphinx’s premier touring group, is a chamber string orchestra made up of young Black and Latino musicians. This hourlong program features spirited (if sometimes slightly hard-edged) playing on…
“Jessie Montgomery and Joan Tower have distinct artistic profiles, but the two share much in common as two of today’s most compelling composers and perceptive observers of the orchestra field.…
“The Bach made a felicitous pairing with Jessie Montgomery’s “Rounds,” a work scored for similar forces and premiered earlier this year. In her comments from the stage, Montgomery, who is…
