Chris Montgomery

Jazz • Encinitas, 92024, US

About the Artist

Awards & Discography Highlights

September 15, 2023: Released "Ode to Joe" on Shifting Paradigm Records.
February 13, 2020: Earned Independent Music Award (IMA) nominations for Best Blues Song ("Shuffle Blues"), Best Jazz Instrumental Song ("With Love"), and Best Jazz Producer (Chris Montgomery and David Whitman for "Soul Flow").
March 31, 2018: Won the IMA for Best Jazz Instrumental for David Whitman's "Oh, Clara!" and received a nomination for Best Jazz Producer.

Artistic & Production Career

Guitarist, producer, and composer Chris Montgomery has performed at world-renowned venues and festivals, including the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, the DuMaurier Jazz Festival, the Escondido Performing Arts Center, the California Center for the Arts, and the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, CA. Over his career, he has collaborated with legendary music luminaries such as Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson, Phil Nimmons, Taj Mahal, Eric Marienthal, Sammy Nestico, Howie Mandel, Joe Morello, and Fred Travalena. He currently leads the Coastal Cities Jazz Band, a premier big band in Southern California.

As an accomplished producer, Chris has helmed dozens of jazz and classical recordings. His recent projects include co-producing En Comun by the 19-year-old jazz piano phenom Chase Morrin, which was engineered by Grammy winner Rich Breen. Chris is also a past member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS).

Classical Collaborations & Historic Catalogues

In the classical realm, Chris has worked alongside prominent stars such as Sir Simon Rattle, Angela Gheorghiu, Joyce DiDonato, Yundi, Sarah Chang, Gabriela Montero, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Ben Heppner, and Alison Balsom. He was responsible for managing the iconic recorded catalogues of EMI and RCA, preserving and promoting collections from legendary artists like Maria Callas, Pablo Casals, Maurice André, Sir Thomas Beecham, André Previn, Herbert von Karajan, Arthur Fiedler, Jascha Heifetz, and Artur Rubinstein.

Additionally, Chris produced acclaimed box-set anthologies, including 70 Years of RCA Jazz, the Julian Bream Collection, and An Evening with the Boston Pops. His industry accolades include a Canadian Juno Award nomination and multiple Gold Records for high-profile projects, including the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Soundtrack, Ben Heppner’s Great Tenor Arias and Sings Lohengrin, The Chieftains' Long Black Veil, and Yanni.

Music Industry Leadership & Digital Innovation

Internationally recognized as a music industry expert and digital pioneer, Chris has held senior global executive roles across major entertainment brands. In the early 1990s, he served as the National Marketing Manager for BMG Music North America. He later served as the Head of EMI Classics North America and Global Vice President of Consumer Digital.

Chris also played a pivotal role in three influential companies that transformed the modern digital music landscape. He was a Director at Diamond Multimedia Systems during the launch of the historic Rio MP3 player, and later joined its spin-out venture, RioPort.com. Following this, he joined the revolutionary MP3.com ecosystem, where he led the team that launched the internet's very first "all-you-can-eat" on-demand music subscription service in 2000, eventually serving as the CEO of MP3.com Europe (Vivendi Universal/NBC Universal).

Consulting & Corporate Strategy

Expanding his reach into executive consulting and corporate development, Chris founded Seamont Group Inc., a global strategy and marketing consulting firm specializing in digital media transformation. More recently, he has served as the COO of the Biotech Law Center, the SVP of Business Development for Cooley LLP (the leading law firm for early-stage companies), and the CEO of the mobile applications company InstantEncore. Throughout his career, he has also consulted for a variety of companies on strategy and marketing-related areas.

Education & Academic Appointments

Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. In 1998, he earned an MBA in International Marketing and Strategy from the University of Edinburgh, where he was appointed a Fellow in 2000.

Since 2003, Chris has served as a visiting professor of business and an Advisory Board member at the University of Edinburgh Business School. He frequently provides specialized consulting services and is available for speaking engagements at educational institutions and industry conferences focusing on the music industry in transition.

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