About Jesse Montgomery

Jessie Montgomery (b. Dec 8, 1981, New York City) is a GRAMMY®-winning composer, violinist, and educator whose music “interweaves classical music with elements of vernacular music, improvisation, poetry, and social consciousness”—described by The Washington Post as “turbulent, wildly colorful and exploding with life.”

Raised in Manhattan’s Lower East Side in a culturally vibrant era, Montgomery absorbed a rich mix of artistic traditions. Daughter of a jazz musician father and a playwright mother, she started violin at the Third Street Music School Settlement. She later earned her B.M. from Juilliard and an M.M. in Composition for Film & Multimedia from NYU.

A founding member of PUBLIQuartet and former member of the Catalyst Quartet, she firmly established herself in both performance and composition. Her work expanded further when she served as Mead Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (2021–2024), during which she spearheaded the Young Composers Initiative, mentoring young composers and supporting underrepresented voices in classical music. 

Montgomery’s diverse catalog, including orchestral, chamber, choral, and solo works, often explores themes of social justice and cultural identity. Notable works include:

• “Banner” (2014), a transformative reimagining of “The Star-Spangled Banner” blending folk, protest songs, and global musical influences 

• Rounds (2021), a piano concerto earning a GRAMMY® in 2024 and praised by NPR as “what classical music needs in 2024.” 

  
  

Her accolades include the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the Leonard Bernstein Award (ASCAP), Musical America’s Composer of the Year (2023), and Performance Today’s 2025 Classical Woman of the Year. She is also the composer-in-residence for the Sphinx Virtuosi and on faculty at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music.

Jessie Montgomery continues to redefine contemporary classical music, grounding it in community, improvisation, and cultural storytelling while amplifying the voices of the next generation.