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Jessie Montgomery facts for kids

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Jessie Montgomery, born in New York City on December 8, 1981, is an amazing American composer, musician, and music teacher. She writes music that often explores everyday sounds, creative ideas, different languages, and important topics like fairness and equality.

Growing Up and Learning Music

Jessie Montgomery grew up in New York City. Her mom, Robbie McCauley, was a writer and performer, and her dad, Ed Montgomery, was a composer. She started playing the violin at a young age at the Third Street Music School Settlement.

Later, she studied violin at the famous Juilliard School. In 2012, she earned a master's degree from New York University. This degree was in composing music for movies and other media.

Since 1999, Jessie has worked with the Sphinx Organization. This group helps young Black and Latino musicians who play string instruments. Jessie received awards from Sphinx when she was younger. Now, she is the main composer for the Sphinx Virtuosi. This is a professional group of musicians from the organization.

Her Musical Journey

Early in her career, Jessie Montgomery performed music and taught others. She helped start a string group called PUBLIQuartet in 2010. She also played with the Catalyst Quartet until 2021.

Over time, she started focusing more on writing her own music. She has written pieces for solo instruments, small groups, singers, and even full orchestras. Many important groups have asked her to create new music. These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

Jessie has also received awards from groups like the ASCAP Foundation. Her music has been played by famous orchestras around the world. These include the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. Her music has even been used for dances by the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

In 2014, Jessie wrote a piece called Banner. She created it for the 200th anniversary of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (the U.S. national anthem). A music critic from New York Times said her piece was daring. It mixed the anthem with American folk songs and protest songs. It also included anthems from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. This created a "musical melting pot."

In 2019, a magazine called Fanfare wrote about Jessie's music. They said her New York background influenced her work. Listeners might hear sounds from different cultures. These include English music, samba (Brazilian music), and even modern jazz.

In 2016, Jessie joined the board of Chamber Music America. In 2021, she became the main composer for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Her piece Hymn for Everyone was written in 2021. It was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This piece opens a Grammy-winning album from 2023.

Jessie also plays in a duo called big dog little dog. She plays with bassist Eleonore Oppenheim. They released their first album in 2019.

Music Albums

  • Strum: Music for Strings (2015), Azica 71302

List of Compositions

Here are some of the musical pieces Jessie Montgomery has composed:

  • Voodoo Dolls (2008), for string quartet or quintet
  • Banner (2014), for solo string quartet and string orchestra
  • Break Away (2013), for string quartet
  • Caught by the Wind (2016), for orchestra
  • Coincident Dances (2017), for orchestra
  • D Major Jam! (2020), for string ensemble
  • Divided (2022), for solo cello and string orchestra
  • Duo for Violin and Cello (2015), for violin and cello
  • Five Freedom Songs (2021), for voice, percussion, and string orchestra
  • Hymn for Everyone (2021), for orchestra
  • L.E.S. Characters (2021), concerto for solo viola and orchestra
  • Lunar Songs (2019), for voice and string quartet
  • Overture (2022), for orchestra
  • Passage (2019), for flute, clarinet, horn, string quartet
  • Shift, Change, Turn (2019), for chamber orchestra
  • Source Code (2013), for string quartet or string orchestra
  • Soul Force (2015), for orchestra
  • Starburst (2012), for string orchestra
  • Strum (2006; rev. 2012), for string quartet/quintet or string orchestra
  • Tower City (2018), for solo carillon (a musical instrument with bells)
  • Records from a Vanishing City (2016), for orchestra
  • Rhapsody No. 1 for solo violin (2014), for solo violin
  • Rounds (2022), for piano and string orchestra
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