Space (2023) 8'

“Bell savvily selected composers whose styles naturally mesh. One of the composer quinquevirate, Jessie Montgomery, said of The Elements, “It still flows as a piece. It’s all American composers, and I…

“My favorite part of Jessie Montgomery’s “Space” movement was in the middle, a slow section that brought to mind the isolation of space. Bell’s slow artificial harmonics, played solo like…

“Since her appointment in the spring of 2021, Montgomery’s music has popped up like wildflowers on classical and new music programs locally. In the 2023-24 season now ending, here are…

“Montgomery sees her appointment and Grammy award, both selected by her peers, as a commitment to continue ‘…to create visibility, to create more opportunities, more equality, more acknowledgment for Black…

“During her three seasons as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead Composer-in-Residence, Jessie Montgomery has left a profound impression on the orchestra and the city’s cultural scene. Her many accomplishments include…

“The penultimate movement was Montgomery’s Space. A violinist herself, the composer has written a striking solo cadenza for Bell, and orchestral textures that glittered with touches of harp and percussion.”

“Even for composers known for their way with a lyrical line and satisfying harmonies, the fit between the movements was remarkable. Each was imaginative and distinctive while also flowing naturally…

“Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell will perform at the U.S. premiere of his newly commissioned suite, The Elements, for violin and orchestra, with the New York Philharmonic this weekend. The…