Jessie Montgomery is a Grammy Award-winning composer, violinist and educator whose work interweaves classical music with elements of vernacular music, improvisation, poetry and social consciousness. Her profound works have been described as “turbulent, wildly colorful, and exploding with life” (The Washington Post), and are performed regularly by leading orchestras, ensembles and soloists around the world. A founding member of PUBLIQuartet and former member of the Catalyst Quartet, Montgomery is a frequent collaborator with performing musicians, composers, choreographers, playwrights, poets and visual artists alike. Named Performance Today’s 2025 Classical Woman of the Year, she has been recognized with many prestigious awards and fellowships, including the Civitella Ranieri Fellowship, the Sphinx Medal of Excellence and Sphinx Virtuosi Composer-in-Residence, the Leonard Bernstein Award from the ASCAP Foundation, and Musical America’s 2023 Composer of the Year. She serves on the Composition and Music Technology faculty at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music.
April 29 | Montgomery performs with young musicians from Kaufman Music Center.
May 1 | Montgomery performs an eclectic program with her ensemble The Everything Band.
Kaufman Music Center’s Artists-in-Residence are pioneering composers and performers deeply engaged with our unique musical ecosystem and creating transformative experiences for students and audiences.
Jessie Montgomery’s Artist Residency is generously underwritten by The Roz Lasker Artist Mentorship Fund.
