Concerto Commission from Jessie Montgomery

In 2021, the Grammy Award-winning composer Jessie Montgomery wrote L.E.S. Characters, a new work for viola and chamber orchestra, which was written for and dedicated to Masumi. The World Premiere took place in October 2021 with Masumi as soloist with the Orlando Philharmonic.

New York native Jessie Montgomery is a violinist, composer, and music educator. She was born, and raised in Manhattan’s Lower East Side in the 1980s, a time when the neighborhood was at a major turning point in its history. Her parents were entrenched in the activities of the neighborhood, often escorting her to rallies, performances, and parties where artists of the time gathered to shed light on important issues. These experiences influenced Ms. Montgomery to create a life in which performance, creativity, education, and advocacy merge.

L.E.S. Characters was commissioned by the Grant Park Music Festival, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, CityMusic Cleveland, Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, in partnership with The Knights.

Mozart with Sonia Shiang Whun Rostad and Anthony McGill

Masumi has teamed up with with the pianist Sonia Shiang Whun Rostad and clarinetist Anthony McGill to record and perform Mozart together. Repertoire includes the Kegelstatt trio, as well as a selection of violin sonatas.

The album will be released by Bridge Records in summer 2019.