Michael Montes is a Peruvian-American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

Life and career

Michael Montes was born in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, the son of American nurse Anne Pryor and Peruvian doctor Mario Montes who came to the United States in the early fifties. The family eventually settled in Eden, NY.Michael Montes Bio
He began

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

studies at age seven, quit in frustration with his teacher's methods, returned feverishly on his own at age thirteen and later dropped out of medical school in order to pursue composition as his life's work. As a child his first

film music A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...

experience occurred while watching the

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

classic '' Mysterious Island''. Years later he discovered that

Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in film scoring. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely regarde ...

had composed the score. Later on

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

became an influence, specifically their innovative production techniques and use of hallucinatory textures. While studying at

Bard College Bard College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains within the Hudson River Historic District ...

he played in jazz groups, wrote and performed experimental music for dance and joined the

chamber choir A chamber choir is a small or medium-sized choir of roughly 8 to 40 singers (occasionally called "chamber singers"), typically singing classical or religious music in a concert setting.Riemann, Hugo. Dictionary of Music'. Trans. J.A. Shedlock. A ...

that specialized in the works of Renaissance composer

Josquin des Prez Josquin Lebloitte dit des Prez ( – 27 August 1521) was a composer of High Renaissance music, who is variously described as French or Franco-Flemish. Considered one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he was a central figure of the ...

. After school he steeped himself in the worlds of

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

tape loop In music, tape loops are loops of magnetic tape used to create repetitive, rhythmic musical patterns or dense layers of sound when played on a tape recorder. Originating in the 1940s with the work of Pierre Schaeffer, they were used among ...

s and

musique concrète Musique concrète (; ): " problem for any translator of an academic work in French is that the language is relatively abstract and theoretical compared to English; one might even say that the mode of thinking itself tends to be more schematic ...

while working on his first commissioned piece, ''A Porcelain Dream'', for

modern dance Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert dance, concert or theatrical dance which includes dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th ...

troupe Floorplay. Moving to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

he began an extended period of composing in every possible format for thousands of

television commercials A television advertisement (also called a commercial, spot, break, advert, or ad) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization. It conveys a message promoting, and aiming to market, a product, service or idea. ...

while collecting multiple

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; ), also spelled Kleio, Сleio, or Cleo, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre-playing. Etymology Clio's name is derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλείω (meaning ...

and AICP awards. Several of his pieces are included in the permanent collection of New York's

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

. He was brought in to work with

Aimee Mann Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released ten studio albums as a solo artist. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects, often d ...

's band 'Til Tuesday as keyboardist for their studio album '' Everything's Different Now'' and subsequent tour. He created the Zoar project, a series of dark atmospheric albums, with guitarist Peter Rundquist and cellist

Erik Friedlander Erik Friedlander is an American cellist and composer based in New York City. A veteran of New York City's experimental downtown scene, Friedlander has worked in many contexts, but is perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with sax ...

. The debut album, ''

Cassandra Cassandra or Kassandra (; , , sometimes referred to as Alexandra; ) in Greek mythology was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true prophecy, prophecies but never to be believed. In modern usage her name is e ...

'', was released on the

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product. Labels are most often affixed to packaging and containers using an adhesive, or sewing when affix ...

Point Music. He began a collaboration with noted filmmaker Bill Morrison scoring his films ''Ghost Trip'', ''Trinity'' and more recently ''Her Violet Kiss'' which in addition to screenings at MoMA and The Louvre has appeared in film festivals worldwide. He conceived and produced cellist

's breakthrough solo album '' Maldoror''. Allan Kozinn of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called his ''String Quartet No. 2'' performed by Ethel "an experiment in intensity...a forceful wave of sound." He has been the composer of choice for The TED Conference, The Nobel Prize Summit, The World Science Festival and The AICP Show. His TedTalks opening title music has enjoyed billions of views. He has composed scores for numerous films including Joan Stein's

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

nominated ''One Day Crossing'', Alexander Olch's ''The Windmill Movie'', Michael Tully's '' Ping Pong Summer'' and Sophia Takal's '' Always Shine''.Always Shine (2016) - IMDb
/ref> His latest personal albums are ''Persona Ficta'', ''When the World Was Now'' and ''Acorn Blue''.

Filmography

*'' Poundcake'' (2023) *''Her Violet Kiss'' (short) (2021) *''Scenes From an Empty Church'' (2021) *'' Tes Yeux Mourants - That Cold Dead Look in Your Eyes'' (2021) *''The Oil War'' (2020) *'' Into the Dark: New Year, New You'' (2019) *''Saeed'' (short) (2019) *''The Changing Same'' (2018) *''Don't Leave Home'' (2018) *''City of Joel'' (documentary) (2018) *'' The Sweet Requiem'' (2018) *''Funeral'' (short) (2018) *''Don't Leave Home'' (2018) *'' Brigsby Bear'' (additional music) (2017) *'' Always Shine'' (2016) *''To Die or to Dream'' (short) (2015) *'' King Georges'' (documentary) (2015) *''

Applesauce Apple sauce is a purée (not necessarily served as a true sauce) made of apples. It can be made with peeled or unpeeled apples and can be spiced or sweetened. Apple sauce is inexpensive and is widely consumed in North America and some parts of E ...

'' (2015) *'' Wild Canaries'' (2014) *'' Ping Pong Summer'' (2014) *''35 Year Old Man'' (short) (2012) *''Welcome to the Machine'' (documentary) (2012) *''Danland'' (documentary) (2012) *''

Septien ''Septien'' is a 2011 independent film directed by and starring Michael Tully. The film also stars Onur Tukel, Robert Longstreet, and Rachel Korine. Its narrative concerns the return of bearded athlete Cornelius Rawlings to his family's Tennes ...

'' (2011) *''Consent'' (2010) *''Prescott Place'' (short) (2010) *''Private Party'' (short) (2009) *''The Windmill Movie'' (documentary) (2008) *''Kung Fu Granny'' (short) (2008) *'' Slaying Goliath'' (documentary) (2008) *''Able Danger'' (2008) *''Red Dog. Scooter. Applesauce.'' (2006) *''The Lovers'' (short) (2006) *'' 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America: Gold Rush'' (TV series documentary) (2006) *''Solidarity.'' (short) (2005) *''Live at Five'' (short) (2005) *'' A Perfect Fit'' (2005) *''City Minutes'' (short) (2005) *''America Brown'' (2004) *''Belle'' (short) (2004) *''Sunset Town'' (short) (2003) *''Trinity'' (short) (2002) *'' Secrets of the Dead'' (TV series documentary) (2002–2011) *''One Day Crossing'' (short) (2001) *'' Majestic'' (video game) (2001) *''Ghost Trip'' (short) (2001) *''Remembering Marshall: Thirty Years Later'' (TV documentary) (2000) *'' Whipped'' (2000) *''Cusp'' (short) (2000) *''I Remember'' (short) (1999) *''The Headhunter's Sister'' (1997) *''MugShot'' (1996) *''Covert Action'' (1988) *'' Firehouse'' (1987) *'' Hangmen'' (1987) *'' Pumping Iron II: The Women'' (1985)

Discography

Solo

*''Acorn Blue'' (2023) *''When the World Was Now'' (2021) *''That Cold Dead Look in Your Eyes (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2021) *''The Oil War (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2021) *''Scenes From an Empty Church (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2021) *''Don't Leave Home (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2018) *''Persona Ficta'' (2017) *''Always Shine (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2017) *''King Georges (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2016) *''Wild Canaries (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2015) *''Ping Pong Summer (Original Motion Picture Score)'' (2014) *''Welcome to the Machine (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2014) *''Danland (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2012) *''The Earlier Time'' (2011) *''Septien (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2011) *''Filmscores'' (2010) *''Chamber Works'' (2009) *''Piano at Dusk'' (2009) *''Such Siren Worlds'' (2008)

Zoar

*'' Clouds Without Water'' (2003) *'' In the Bloodlit Dark'' (2001) *''

'' (1997)

References

External links

Michael Montes official site

Zoar official site

Sacred Noise official site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Montes, Michael 1958 births 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American composers 21st-century American male musicians American film score composers Living people American male film score composers 'Til Tuesday members Musicians from Houston American people of Peruvian descent