Montopolis is an indie chamber music group from Austin, Texas that performs the works of composer Justin Sherburn. Their music folds country and folk idioms into modern classical arrangements with inventive instrumentation to create "stunning and transcendent" (Austin Chronicle) concerts.
Their programs are audience-engaging, multi-media events that combine live music with video and interactive story telling. Their most recent albums, Music for Enchanted Rock and The Legend of Big Bend, are themed around Texan ecological points of interest. Montopolis will continue to be inspired by and draw attention to the natural wonders of our state, country and planet. The Montopolis musicians include members of the Austin Symphony, Okkervil River, Tosca String Quartet, and the Polyphonic Spree.
Justin Sherburn
Artistic Director
Justin Sherburn is a professional musician and Texas native that has been producing events across the nation for over 20 years. His group Montopolis is a proud member of the Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster and a contractor for the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division. Learn more about Justin HERE.
Anlo Sepulveda
Cinematographer
Anlo Sepulveda is an award-winning filmmaker whose most recent work, "Yakona," premiered at SXSW in 2014 and won the Audience Award for Best Documentary in the Visions category. "Yakona," an experimental documentary told from the perspective of the San Marcos River, screened at numerous film festivals worldwide, garnering multiple awards and glowing press reviews.
Christopher Zebo
Photographer
Christopher Zebo is an award-winning photographer whose photos of Texas have been seen by millions of people worldwide. His work for the state of Texas’ tourism bureau captured everything from the beaches to the mountains, the cities to the deserts—and everything in-between. He has taught photography workshops and given lectures at Texas A&M, and his photos of the state have appeared in numerous publications around the world.
Reagan Lee Jobe
Aerial Cinematographer
Reagan Lee Jobe is an aerial cinematographer based in Fort Worth, Texas. Years of experience In extreme sports inform his unique creative vision. Reagan's ability to capture stunning and stable images with high performance racing drones is unparalleled in the industry.
Wendy Gordon, PhD
Climate Consultant
Wendy Gordon is a science and policy expert working on how climate change impacts water and species. She is the Founder of Climate Action Texas, a climate change information hub. She received a PhD in Botany from The University of Texas at Austin, an MS in Natural Resource Policy from the University of Michigan, and a BA in Biology from Brown University. A former Texas state employee, she now has a consulting business in Austin, TX.
Megan O'Connell
Ecologist and Conservationist
Megan O'Connell is an ecological researcher and science communicator completing her PhD at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research is focused on the interactions of plants and their pollinators, and how these species are navigating the complexities of habitat loss and climate change. https://www.meganoconnell.net
Sunday Ballew
Interviews and Photography
Sunday Ballew is a multi-media artist and educator from Austin, TX. She received an MFA in Studio Art from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland and a BA in Germanic Studies and Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. She exhibits nationally, is a former co-director of Clamp Light Studios & Gallery in San Antonio, TX, and lectures at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX.
Gunner Ross Wagner
Assistant & Musician
Gunner Ross Wagner is a multi-instrumentalist, music producer and digital artist based out of Austin, Texas. He attended Columbia College Chicago where he studied documentary filmmaking. He has toured with Montopolis and created visual art for SXSW. Currently he is touring with Montopolis for their "Man with a Movie Camera" tour.
MONTOPOLIS COLLABORATORS
Leon Alesi Ultralite Films
Troublepuppet Theater Company Okkervil River
Yakona Above All Else
San Marcos River Foundation Wren and Shark
Church of the Friendly Ghost Fiege Films
Tongue and Groove Theater Ethan Azarian
Glovertango Minnow Mountain
Austin Museum of Digital Art Golden Hornet Project
Mishnoon Arcos Films
Recspec Tosca String Quartet
Monkeytown Christopher Blay