Jesse Montgomery was named the composer of the year in 2023 and is the composer in residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra through 2024.

In this Backstory piece, Larry Potash learns more about the mission that’s driving her work.

Backstory with Larry Potash airs Sunday nights at 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on WGN, or stream it anytime on the WGN+ app on your smart TV with Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV.

Check out the Backstory podcast at WGNtv.com/Backstory via Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.