Stephen Montague
Stephen Montague was born in Syracuse, New York in 1943 and grew up in West Virginia and Florida. He studied piano, conducting and composition at Florida State University (1963-67), received a doctorate Ohio State University (1972) and then won a Fulbright Fellowship to work in Warsaw, Poland. 
From Poland he went to England first as a musician with Strider Dance Co. (Richard Alston and co.), but since 1975 has worked as a freelance composer based in London but touring world-wide.
His music has been widely performed featuring in numerous international festivals including the BBC Proms, Bath, Huddersfield, Warsaw Autumn Festival, Paris Festival d'automne, Ultima (Oslo), Singapore, Hong Kong and The Kennedy Center (Washington DC).
Major commissions have included an organ work for the Royal Festival Hall (2004), piano concerto for the BBC Proms, the Hilliard Ensemble, a solo work for pianist Stephen Kovacevich, a 35 minute work for narrator and orchestra for the BT Celebration Series and the International Computer Music Association.
Although a long term UK resident, his compositional influences are transatlantic. He says: "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'". (How's that for a quote, readers?!)
Stephen Montague was a founder of Sonic Arts Network (UK), Chair of the Society for the Promotion of New Music, 1993-97 (UK), and their Artistic Director, 1998-99. For more details about Stephen and his work, please visit http://www.britishacademy.com/members/montague.htm
The PRS Foundation caught up with Stephen to find out what he's been listening to lately:
Phillip Mead - Varied Air
"The past few weeks I've been listening to Philip Mead's fantastic 2 CD recording of the complete piano works of Charles Ives- "Varied Air" [Metier MSV CD92037 (a+b)].
This is surely the definitive recording of Ives' extraordinary piano works. The performance of the Concord Sonata is breathtaking and all the others just as good! Philip is one of those truly gifted pianists who seems untroubled by the spotlight some of his colleagues have enjoyed and has gone quietly about producing some truly brilliant concerts of contemporary works both here in Britain and abroad".
For more information about the recording, please visit http://www.metierrecords.co.uk/text/shortcat2.htm
Dizzee Rascal - Boy in da Corner
"My two teenage children, Toby and Tessa, keep in touch with some of the blazing air waves buzzing around outside my contemporary classical field. As a foil to what I do I really enjoy the energy and vitality of the youngest generation of hip hop and R & B artists. My most recent favourite is Dizzee Rascal "Boy in da Corner".
I love his high tech "urban" backing tracks and how much variety, passion and power he can get into a whole album in basically 4/4 time. My favourite tracks are: "Fix Up, Look Sharp" which somehow reminds me of the Burma Shave ads I used to see along rural roads in 1950s America, and Dizzee Rascal going a little "classical" in "Jus' A Rascal". It's great stuff!" [Dizzee Rascal - Boy in a Corner XLCD170]
http://www.xlrecordings.com/dizzeerascal/
Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas - Fire & Grace
"One of the most wonderful things about my adopted country is the fantastic folk music tradition. I love Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas's new album "Fire & Grace" [Culburnie 121]. Tom Anderson's "Da Slockit Light" has to be one of the great Scottish tunes of recent times.
Alasdair's mellow arrangement for fiddle and cello is both beautiful and moving. The whole album is a delight, played with great panache and flair. A great late night listen with a shot of Drambuie in front of an open fire".
http://www.culburnie.com/albums/AlasdairFraser/Fire%20and%20Grace.htm