THE STORY BEHIND: Jessie Montgomery's "Overture"

Title: Overture

Composer: Jessie Montgomery (1981- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for piccolo, flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, two trombones, timpani and strings.

The Story: This concert opens with 2024 Grammy® award-winner Jessie Montgomery's Overture, a one-movement work showcasing a fusion of styles from jazz harmonies to Baroque polyphony. Born and raised on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Montgomery found her calling early and has devoted her career to not only composition, but also to performance (in groups such as the Providence Quartet), advocacy for broader representation of Black and Latinx musicians in classical music, and to teaching for organizations such as Rhode Island’s own Community MusicWorks.
              

Written during her tenure as Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Overture opens with striking tension. Unison strings coax a theme from their instruments, conveying a sense of command rather than melody. Montgomery then examines the ensemble's resonance from multiple perspectives, from one end of the stage to the other, in a way that The Washington Post has aptly described as “turbulent, wildly colorful and exploding with life.”

Program Notes by Jamie Allen © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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