"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."
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.
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.
As a pianist, he has recorded for many European radio networks and has performed at Carnegie HallinNew York, the Queen Elizabeth HallinLondon, and the Centre Georges PompidouinParis. 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)[2]
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.
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
1984 Slow Dance on a Burial Ground (Lovely Music VR2041) complete LP of Montague works: Slow Dance on a Burial Ground, Paramell I, Paramell Va; James Fulkerson, trombone, Stephen Montague, piano/electronics
1994 Stephen Montague: Orchestral and Chamber Works (Continuum CCD 1061) complete CD of Montague works: From the White Edge of Phrygia, String Quartet No. 1, Haiku, Tigida Pipa; The Florida Orchestra, The Smith Quartet, Philip Mead, piano, Singcircle (Gregory Rose, director)
1997 Snakebite (ASV CD DCA 991) complete CD of works by Montague: Snakebite, At the White Edge of Phrygia, Varshavian Autumn, Behold a Pale Horse (with brass); The Orchestra & Chorus of St Johns Smith Square, John Lubbock, conductor
1997 CDCM Computer Music Series Vol. 25 (Centaur Records, Inc. CRC 2347) includes Montague: Silence: John, Yvar & Tim; The Smith Quartet, Philip Mead, piano
1997 The Art of the Toy Piano (Point Records/Philips Classics 465 345-2) includes Montague: Mirabella: a Tarantella for Toy Piano; Margaret Leng Tan
1999 The Drums of Summer: Live from Austria (Gallante GG1017) includes Montague: At the White Edge of Phrygia; SMU Chamber Orchestra
2000 Energy (Opus 111 OPS 1016) includes Montague: Phrygian Tucket; Elisabeth Chojnacka, harpsichord
2000 Guy Klucesvek: Free Range Accordion (Starkland ST-209) includes Montague: Aeolian Furies; Guy Klucesvek, accordion
2005 The Joy of Toy (Edition Eirelav 001) includes Montague: Almost a Lullaby; Isabel Ettenauer, toy pianos - Winner: Pasticcio Prize by Austrian Radio, 2005
2005 In Sunlight (NMC D098) includes Montague: Folk Dances; Madeleine Mitchell, violin, Andrew Ball, piano
2006 Southern Lament (NMC D118 ) Montague piano works; Philip Mead & Stephen Montague, pianists, Elysian Quartet, Monica Acosta voice, Nancy Ruffer, flute, London Sousa Band - Winner: Best New Piano Recording of 2006 - The International Piano Awards
2007 Ghost Stories (Signum Classics CD088) includes Montague: String Quartet No. 1: in memoriam…; The Smith Quartet
2008 NMC Songbook (NMC D150) various British works includes Montague: The Poison Tree; Stefan Loges, baritone, Ian Burnside, piano, Owen Gunnell, percussion
2012 A Doll’s House (Signum Classics SIGCD294 ) new works for percussion includes Montague: Rim Fire; Ensemble Bash
2014 Three Fables (NMC DL201406); Crawford Logan, narrator & Red Note Ensemble
2015 Pinks & Blues (McMaster Records) includes Montague: Songs of Childhood from After Ives…; Christina McMaster, piano
Frances Wilson: “Meet the Artist: Stephen Montague, Composer” an interview for The Cross-Eyed Pianist online music magazine publication. Feb 2018, UK
Professor Martyn Harry's lecture series Liveness, Hybridity and Noise at Oxford University, UK: “At the White Edge…” - the Music of Stephen Montague presented by the composer, 22 Jan 2018 at St. Hilda's College, Oxford University.
Tim Rutherford-Johnson: “Yanks in the UK” New Music Box, the magazine of the American Music Center, (New York), 13 Oct 2010
John Bannon: Stephen Montague's "At the White Edge of Phrygia": A conductor's performance analysis (DMA dissertation, Scholarly Repository Library, University of Miami, Florida, US), 2004
Stephen Johnson: MUSIC / Light on the trigger: Stephen Johnson on works by Stephen Montague and James Dillon - Arts & Entertainment - The Independent, 29 Mar 1993
