notes JESSIE
MONTGOMERY born: 1981, New York, NY
Starburst (2012) premiere: September 2012 in Miami, Florida
Composer, violinist, and educator Jessie Montgomery was born and raised in Manhattan’s Lower East Side during a time when the neighborhood was at a major turning point in its history. Her parents — her father a musician, her mother a theater artist and storyteller — were engaged in the activities of the neighborhood and regularly brought Jessie to rallies, performances, and parties where neighbors, activists, and artists gathered to celebrate and support the movements of the time. It is from this unique experience that Ms. Montgomery has created a life that merges composing, performance, education, and advocacy. Her music interweaves classical music with elements of vernacular music, improvisation, language, and social justice, placing her squarely as one of the most relevant interpreters of 21st century American sound and experience. Starburst was commissioned by the Sphinx Organization, a non-profit dedicated to the development of young Black and Latino classical musicians. The composer provides the following commentary: This brief one-movement work for string orchestra is a play on imagery of rapidly changing musical colors. Exploding gestures are juxtaposed with gentle fleeting melodies in an attempt to create a multidimensional soundscape. A common definition of a starburst: “the rapid formation of large numbers of new stars in a galaxy at a rate high enough to alter the structure of the galaxy significantly” lends itself almost literally to the nature of the performing ensemble who premieres the work, The Sphinx Virtuosi, and I wrote the piece with their dynamic in mind. “Music is my connection to the world. It guides me to understand my place in relation to others and challenges me to make clear the things I do not understand.” — Jessie Montgomery
jessiemontgomery.com
10
