Stephen Rowley Montague (born March 10, 1943, in Syracuse, New York) is an American composer, pianist and conductor who grew up in Idaho, New Mexico, West Virginia and Florida.
Musical statement "I write music to engage an audience, to seduce them sometimes by stealth with something they know, then taking them somewhere they may never have been.
I'm a maverick and, like Henry Cowell, want to live in the whole world of music, not just one corner. My works range from the simple vernacular through high classical to the avant-garde. Variety is my oxygen."
~ Stephen Montague
Background Born in Syracuse, New York in 1943, Stephen Montague lived in Albion, Idaho, from 1947 to 1951, where his father, Dr. Richard Montague (1916–2015) was head of music at Southern Idaho College of Education. From 1952 to 1957, they lived in Fairmont, West Virginia, where his father was a professor of music at Fairmont State College, now University, and went on to become professor of music at St. Petersburg College, Florida, from 1959 to 1982. Stephen Montague's brother Dr. John Montague (born 1944) is director of Buffalo Maritime Center, New York.
Education
After studying piano, conducting and composition at Florida State University B.M 1965 with Honors, M.M 1967, Stephen Montague received a Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from Ohio State University in 1972. He did additional study in conducting at the Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria, 1966, computer music at IRCAM, Paris, 1981, and at Stanford University, California, 1984. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship/Polish Cultural Grant to work at the Experimental Music Studio of Polish Radio, Warsaw, Poland, 1972–74.
Career
Montague was born and educated in the US, but lived in Warsaw, Poland (1972–74) on a Fulbright Fellowship, and since 1974 in London working as a freelance composer, pianist, conductor touring worldwide. His music has been performed at numerous international festivals, including the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Royal Festival Hall, the Warsaw Autumn festival, the Paris Festival d'Automne, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Bang On a Can (NYC), Adelaide, Hong Kong and Singapore Festivals.
He has been commissioned by such sources as the BBC Proms, the Royal Festival Hall (London), Barbican Centre (London), New Music Biennale (UK), Birmingham Royal Ballet (UK), the National Portrait Gallery (London), the Royal Ballet (UK), British Telecom (for the London Symphony Orchestra), the Trans Atlantic Arts Consortium (UK/US), the Calgary Philharmonic (Canada), the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Chorus, the Hilliard Ensemble, the Smith Quartet (UK), pianist Stephen Kovacevich, percussionist Evelyn Glennie, harpsichordist Elisabeth Chojnacka, the International Computer Music Association and the Changwon International Chamber Music Festival (South Korea).
As a pianist, he has recorded for many European radio networks and has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. In 1985 he formed a duo with pianist Philip Mead, Montague/Mead Piano Plus which toured internationally. His conducting specialty is 20th- and 21st-century music and has included work with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, and City of London Sinfonia amongst others. In addition, Montague has created multi-channel electroacoustic sound environments in collaboration with the sculptor, Maurice Agis in Agis's large Colorspace and Dreamscape inflatable sculptures, and composed a number of music theatre works for outside spaces such as his Horn Concerto for klaxon horn soloist with an orchestra of automobiles, and [Bennett's Bike Concerto for piano soloist (World Superbike Champion, James Toesland), symphonic brass ensemble, percussion and 8 motorcycles for the 2007 World Superbike Championships, Brands Hatch Race Track (UK). He has organised and directed 13 John Cage - Musicircuses including John Cage Centennial celebration (2012) performances at English National Opera (The London Coliseum), the Old Royal Naval College (Greenwich) in 2012, Centre Pompidou-Metz (France) in 2016, and the FSU Museum of Fine Arts (Tallahassee, FL) 2019. He was the music director for the Royal Opening of The Francis Crick Institute (London) 2016, and organised and directed one of the international Merce Cunningham Centennial dance/music events at Florida State University in 2019.
Although a long-term British resident (dual national - US/UK since 2000) his compositional influences are transatlantic. He commented in a BBC radio interview: "I have lived in Britain since 1974 but my musical heroes remain American: I admire Charles Ives's unapologetic juxtaposition of vernacular music and the avant-garde, Henry Cowell's irreverent use of fist and arm clusters, the propulsive energy of minimalism, and John Cage's radical dictum that 'all sound is music'. And, like Henry Cowell, I want to live in the whole world of music, not just one corner. I am equally at home writing for a large professional symphony orchestras, chamber groups, solo works, ballet, contemporary dance, music theatre or experimental works like, for example, motorcycles, brass, percussion and piano".
In the UK, Montague was a founder of Sonic Arts Network in 1980, ran the Sonic Arts concert series at London's Institute for Contemporary Art from 1982 to 1986, served as chair of the SPNM (Society for the Promotion of New Music) during 1993–1997, and was associate composer with The Orchestra of St. Johns, Smith Square, London, 1995 - 97. He has been a guest professor at the University of Texas - Austin, 1992, 1995, 2000, at the University of Auckland, New Zealand in 1997, and visiting professor of composition at Florida State University 2018–19. Recent composer portraits of his music have taken place in London, New York, Chicago, Columbus (OH), Houston, Mexico City, Vienna, Budapest, and Singapore.
His awards include the International Piano Magazine Award: "Best Contemporary Piano Music Recording 2006" for the CD of his piano music Southern Lament on NMC label (UK), Fellow of Leeds College of Music (FLeedsCM), 2004, Honorary Fellow Trinity College of Music (HonFTCL), 2001, Ohio State University Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2000, "Distinction in Computer Music", Ars Electronica Prix, Linz, 1996, the Ernst von Dohnányi Citation for Excellence in Composition, 1995, and "First Prize" at the Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition (France) in 1994.
In addition to his freelance work Montague was the New Music Associate at Cambridge University's Kettle's Yard Art Gallery, 2010–2012 (UK) where he curated Kettle's Yard Gallery's monthly contemporary music series. He also teaches composition and orchestration (one day a week), at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance London, and is published by United Music Publishing (UK)
Montague's works appear on CDs from NMC Records (UK), Signum (UK), ASV Records (UK), Continuum (New Zealand), Centaur (US), Point Records (US), Starkland (US) and others.
Works Orchestral From the Ether (2014) orchestra The King Dances (2013–14) orchestra Invictus (2013) orchestra Lux in tenebrae (2009) large orchestra/chorus, 5 conductors Night Eternal (2008) strings, music box Night Tracks (2008) string ensemble Beyond the Stone Horizon (2006) chamber orchestra Intrada 1631 (2003) brass choir, 4 drummers, organ, woodwinds, surround strings, multiple triangles Snowscape (2001) string orchestra The Creatures Indoors (1996) narrator, chamber orchestra. Poems: Jo Shapcott Dark Sun - August, 1945 (1995) large orchestra, chorus, 3 radios Snakebite (1995) chamber orchestra Prologue (1984) orchestra From the White Edge of Phrygia (1984) orchestra At the White Edge of Phrygia (1983) chamber orchestra Sound Round (1973) orchestra, electronics
Concerto Ritual: Ode to Changwon (2017) prepared piano [inside], string orchestra, music box Phrygian Ferment (2011) harpsichord, strings, percussion, tape Bike Concerto (2007) solo piano, 8 motorcycles, 13 brass, 2 perc. Mephisto (2006–07) violin solo, chamber orchestra Disparate Dances (2002) flute, harp soloists, chamber orchestra Horn Concerto (1998) solo klaxon horn, orchestra of vintage automobiles Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1997) piano, chamber orchestra A Toy Symphony (1999) 6 amateur soloists, chamber orchestra
Choral & Vocal Poor Baby Jesus (2017) SATB a cappella Wilful Chants (2010) chorus, symphonic brass choir, 2 percussionists Requiem: “The Trumpets Sounded Calling Them to the Other Side” (2009) soprano soloist, SATB chorus, orchestra, organ, 3 off stage percussion groups, fog horns The Poison Tree (2008) baritone, bell, piano. Text: William Blake Cage: Variations I for Stephen Montague (2004) realisation for SATB chorus The Carnal & the Crane (1998) soprano, baritone soloists, SATB chorus, organ, chamber or full orchestra I Wonder (2001) for soprano soloist, SATB chorus, organ, chamber or full orchestra Cantique de Noël (1996) Adophe Adam/S Montague for sop & baritone soloists, SATB chorus, organ, chamber or full orchestra Varshavian Autumn (1995) SATB chorus, chamber orchestra Wild Nights (1993) soprano, clarinet, viola, piano Boombox Virelai (1992) counter-tenor, tenor, baritone, bass Tigida Pipa (1983) SATB, wood blocks, claves, tape
Chamber Red Dawn (2020) violin, piano Paramell I (2018) version: muted trumpet, muted piano Introit & Flourish (2016) brass quintet, or brass choir, timpani, percussion Dead Cat Bounce (2014) ‘open score’ chamber group Three Fables (2014) for narrator, fl, vln, vla, vc, harp, perc A Dragon Flies (2012) for violin & piano Chorale for the Cauldrons of Hell (2005/2006) for large mixed ensemble The Hammer Hawk (2002) for piano, violin, viola (or vln), cello, optional double bass Folk Dances (2002) violin, piano Rim Fire (2002) for percussion quartet Philup Glass- a Lullaby for Wine Glasses (2001) 4 wine glasses, 2 performers Black ‘n Blues (2000) piano 4 hands, marimba, pillow March Militaire (1999) military marching band Thule Ultima (1999) woodwind quintet mouthpieces Behold a Pale Horse (1994) version: organ, 2tpts, 2hns, 2trbs, tuba Silence: John, Yvar & Tim (1994) prepared string quartet, prepared piano, 2 tapes, live-electronics String Quartet No. 1: in memoriam Barry Anderson & Tomasz Sikorski (1989-93) quartet, live electronics, tape Paramell VI (1981) solo piano, fl, cl, vlc or perc Paramell V (1981) 2 pianos Paramell I (1977) muted trombone, muted piano Eine Kleine Klangfarben Gigue (1976) keyboard, open instrumentation Quiet Washes (1974) 3 trombones 3 pianos, or harps Eyes of Ambush (1973) 1-5 instruments/voices, digital delay
Theatre A Birthday Party for Merce (2019) a theatre piece for 12 singers and 40 saxophones, A Dinner Party for John Cage (2012) music theatre work for 12 singers Musicircus (2012) 200 performers, English National Opera event Apparitions (2008) late night multi-media event for UK castles Texas Pulp Fiction (2000/rev 2018) 3 speakers playing cow bells, beer bottles Chew Chow Chatterbox (1998) 4 percussionists at dinner
Solo Berceuse (2018) for prepared piano Raga Capriccio (2017) for toy piano, tape Beguiled (2015) for piano Nun Mul (2014) for piano Almost a Lullaby (2004) for toy piano, music box Toccare Incandescent (2003) organ Dark Train Comin’ (2001) harpsichord Southern Lament (1997) piano Mira (1995) piano Mirabella- A Tarantella for Toy Piano (1995) Phrygian Tucket (1993) harpsichord, tape Aeolian Furies (1992) accordion Vlug (1992) flute, live-electronics, tape After Ives... (1991–93) solo piano, electronics, tape Behold a Pale Horse (1990) organ Tongues of Fire (1983–93) piano, stones, live electronics, tape Paramell Va (1981) solo piano