The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, with guest conductor, Anna Handler, and guest pianist Awadagin Pratt, will feature Jessie Montgomery’s composition, Rounds on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15. The work was a collaboration between composer Montgomery and Pratt as the piano soloist.

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, making her an acute interpreter of 21st-century American sound and experience. Her works have been described as “turbulent, wildly colorful, and exploding with life,” (The Washington Post) and are performed regularly by leading orchestras and ensembles around the world. 

Montgomery 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.

I had an opportunity to speak with Ms. Montgomery, about Rounds and her writing.

Ida Zecco: Rounds weaves together folk and classical traditions. What was your inspiration?

Jessie Montgomery: I wouldn’t necessarily describe it as folk. The impetus was created through Awadagin Pratt and six other composers inspired in part by naturalist poetry, such as T. S. Elliot, focusing on the cyclical aspects of nature and its formation. For instance, the cycle of birds’ flight; the way in which birds fly in packs, forming, reforming and then coming back to where they began.

IZ: The interplay between instruments in Rounds creates a strong sense of connection. What message were you hoping to convey about community?

JM: With Awadagin as the pianist, who is renowned for his Bach interpretations in which he is both performer and conductor, I wanted to present the dynamic relationship of a dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra.

IZ: How do you see Rounds reflecting your own musical journey and influences?

JM: This is a perfect version of what I represent in music composition: traditional forms like a concerto while exploring new colors and stylistic approaches. The cadenza of this composition is what makes it unique. The soloist performs a live, improvised interpretation within the formal composition. It is piece within a piece. This is an old tradition that we are revitalizing.

IZ: Did you have challenges or unique moments in composing Rounds that stood out to you?

JM: Rounds was my first serious composition for piano. As a violinist I am used to a single line stanza. Now, I was composing a work specifically for Awadagin, who is a master interpreter of music, and I was writing within a grand stanza. However, once I was confident with the form, everything fell into place.

IZ: How does your cultural identity shape your music?

JM: I definitely explore Black American music in my writing. It is a rich culture that has informed so much popular music today. This lineage can be felt and understood by anyone who appreciates music. I reference certain aspects of blues and jazz as well as rhythms like funk and rock ‘n’ roll. They may sometimes appear as natural elements and other times as a specific, composed intention.

IZ: Any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re particularly excited about?

JM: I am working on a project called “The Everything Band.”  It involves composers and musicians, which extensions both my work and improvisation. The musicians have been colleagues of mine for years, so it is like a reunion. “The Everything Band” is a veritable collaborative creation that is a different way of composing for me. Not every note is accounted for before we sit down and actually play the composition. The piece resembles a jazz chart rather than a fully composed piece. This is extremely exciting for me.

What:        Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, 
                    Anna Handler, guest conductor
                    Awadagin Pratt, piano
                    RAVEL: Boléro
                    JESSIE MONTGOMERY: Rounds
                    RACHMANINOFF: Symphonic Dances 

Where:     Veterans Memorial Auditorium
                    Avenue of the Arts, Providence

When:       Feb. 14 - 6:30 p.m.
                    Feb. 15 - 7:30 p.m.

Tickets:    $20 - $96
                    401-248-7000
                    or email boxoffice@riphil.org.