Senior Spotlight: Montagu James ’22

Montagu James, from Princeton, NJ, has integrated music into all of his studies: his thesis for the History Department explores political censorship in Polish music during the early Communist period; his certificates are focused on Conducting Performance and immersing in the rich musical legacy of Italian Language and Culture; and he has also been involved as a violinist and composer with the Princeton University Sinfonia and Camerata. Even through the pandemic, Montagu wrote a short composition for Sinfonia that was recorded virtually, and found ways to play chamber music with friends and eventually orchestras when students returned to campus. He will extend his studies in history next year in graduate school, and hopes to continue writing about music.

“I’ve always wanted to incorporate music into my history research. My senior thesis and future work look at the relationship between politics and culture, particularly classical music and authoritarianism. Therefore, as I study history in graduate school I hope to continue writing about music.”

Favorite track: Steve Reich’s Variations for Strings, Winds, and Keyboards

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