Michael Montes

Michael Montes is an American composer.

Montes was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Anne Pryor, an American nurse and Mario Montes, a Peruvian doctor who came to the United States in the early fifties. The family eventually settled in idyllic Eden, NY, where budding poetic dreamers could fill their days with pastoral pleasures and 1970's psychedelic music.

He began piano studies at age seven, quit in rage and frustration, returned feverishly 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 experience occurred while watching the Jules Verne classic Mysterious Island. Years later he discovered that Bernard Herrmann had composed the score.

Later on Pink Floyd became an influence, specifically their innovative production techniques and use of hallucinatory textures.

While studying at Bard College he joined the chamber choir that specialized in the works of Renaissance composer Josquin des Prez.

After school he steeped himself in the world of Brian Eno, tape loops and musique concrète while working with modern dance troupe Floorplay.

Moving to New York City he began an extended period of composing in every possible genre for television commercials while collecting multiple Clio and AICP awards. Several of his pieces are included in the permanent collection of New York's Museum of Modern Art.

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