AUSTIN UNCONDUCTED
X
HERE BE MONSTERS
Program
Go Big Or Go Home
Jessica Meyer
Hushed are the Winds
Nick Montopoli
World Premiere, co-commissioned by Tetractys & Austin Unconducted for Here Be Monsters 2026
musicians
Violin
Camille Schiess - performer, teacher, song writer, loves to draw, beach positive
Abi (Shiman) Bellorín* - performer, teacher, Suzuki expert, (cat) mama
Antonio Cevallos - performer, violin technique wizard, pet dad, foodie
Leigh Wallenhaupt - lover of color, game night nerd, Disney adult, jetsetter, pet mom
Viola
Luis Eduardo Bellorín* - performer, teacher, mustache aficionado, video host
Isaac Fuentes - performer, teacher, fashion designer
Cello
Liz Lee - performer, teacher, tennis player, crafter, acupuncturist, food lover
Daniel Kopp - cellist, artistic director, philosopher, espresso brewer
Bass
Andrea Beyer* - performer, teacher, world wanderer, adventurous eater, pup (and soon-to-be human) parent
Dana Wygmans - performer, orchestra and private teacher, song writer, cat mom
*denotes co-founder of Austin Unconducted
Program notes
Go big or go home
Jessica Meyer
2023
With playing that is “fierce and lyrical” and works that are “other-worldly” (The Strad) and “evocative” (New York Times), Jessica is a GRAMMY–nominated violist and composer whose passionate musicianship radiates accessibility and emotional clarity. Her first composer/performer portrait album in 2019 debuted at #1 on the Billboard traditional classical chart, where “knife-edge anticipation opens on to unexpected, often ecstatic musical realms, always with a personal touch and imaginatively written for the instruments” (Gramophone Magazine). Meyer’s compositions explore the wide palette of emotionally expressive colors available to each instrument while using traditional and extended techniques inspired by her varied experiences as a contemporary and period instrumentalist.
Go Big or Go Home is an adaptation of the last movement of Jessica’s string quartet “Get into the NOW,” originally reimagined for orchestra for Miami’s Nu Deco Ensemble. She writes:
In Go BIG or Go HOME, you will find hints of funk, bluegrass, and Latin while being driven by groove, virtuosity, and moments of improvisation allowing members of the group to put their own personal signature on the piece. Most importantly, it is written from a place of self-realization, empowerment, and celebration of how joyous life can be.
For more on Jessica Meyer: https://jessicameyermusic.com/
Hushed are the winds
Nick Montopoli
2026
In three continuous parts:
Departure
Approach
A Bright Spot on the Moon
The first handful of notes of this work were born out of a sense of loss: after the 2024 election, and the preceding decade, I felt a deep grief for the America that I felt was gone - or that, in many ways, had never existed. In early drafts, this work was first intended as an in memoriam to that idea.
Then, in April 2026, NASA launched the Artemis II mission: a tiny glimmer of hope for the America we could be, the America that my father and grandfather dedicated lives of military and government service to, and the America I grew up inspired by.
The Artemis crew demonstrated undeniable selflessness, compassion, and humility, in a country and world that is desperately starved for those traits - where the easier path is often one of cruelty or judgement. When asked how they would like to be remembered, the Artemis crew answered without hesitation that they’d prefer to be forgotten, that they are doing little more than enabling the future, and that “it gets extraordinary from here”.
This piece is built around a hymn-like chorale melody - heard in its entirety only near the end of the work - derived directly from the Artemis crew’s emotional tribute to Reid Wiseman’s late wife: “We lost a loved one, her name was Carroll. The spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie...it's a bright spot on the Moon, and we would like to call it Carroll.”
Hushed are the Winds is a tribute to Reid, Victor, Christina, Jeremy, and everyone else who continues to inspire when we need it most.
This piece takes its name from the poem On The Death Of A Young Lady by George Gordon Byron.
About the Composer
Nick is a composer of music for film, games, records, and concert stages, and a sound designer and engineer for both visual and audio media. His current award-winning scoring projects include the films Rasa, Sins of the Father and TAP. His session recording can be heard on Richard Linklater's Hit Man and Austin Wintory's score to the video game Eternal Strands. Recent production credits include collaborations with rapper Scrim and pianist Lara Downes.
As a performing musician, bandleader, and sideman, Nick has been featured on a number of NPR Tiny Desk Concerts, and has shared the stage with a range of artists including Aretha Franklin, Judy Collins, and Sigur Rós. His studio work can be heard on albums by Whiskey Myers, Blk Odyssy, Taking Back Sunday, and many more. Ensembles such as Austin Unconducted, Inversion Ensemble, Density 512, and the Valley Symphony Orchestra have performed Nick's compositions and arrangements live.
Nick has collaborated as producer, composer, arranger, session musician, sound designer, and/or engineer on hundreds of projects with artists from over 30 countries, with clients including Disney and Netflix. In addition to his independent work, Nick works as a contract composer for companies such as Zimmer Audio, and has contributed to music libraries including 10 West Music.
Nick is a founding member of Invoke, a folk-infused quartet whose repertoire features original compositions by the group and works by exciting young American composers. Invoke has won awards at the Concert Artists Guild competition, M-Prize and Coltman competitions, and the Savvy Musician in ACTION competition, and was selected as Young Professional String Quartet in Residence at the University of Texas.
www.nickmontopoli.com