Artist Profile: Jeremy Monterio
For many, jazz in Singapore is inseparable from the name Jeremy Monteiro. Over decades of performing, composing, producing, and mentoring, he has helped shape not just a scene, but a culture—one rooted in curiosity, generosity, and a belief that jazz is a living conversation rather than a fixed tradition.
This is a story of sound, service, and stewardship.
1. A Voice Formed Through Listening
Jeremy Monteiro’s musical journey has always been guided by attentive listening—listening to records, to fellow musicians, to the spaces between notes. As a pianist, his style is grounded in clarity and lyricism, favouring musical dialogue over display. Influenced by the great jazz storytellers, he approaches improvisation not as virtuosity for its own sake, but as a way of shaping emotion and meaning in real time.
From early performances to international stages across Asia, Europe, and the United States, Jeremy has consistently carried this philosophy with him. His playing reflects a deep respect for melody and structure, balanced with the freedom that defines jazz. Each performance is an invitation—to listen closely, to feel deeply, and to engage with the music as something alive and unfolding.
2. Building a Jazz Ecosystem
Jeremy’s impact extends far beyond the piano. As an educator, mentor, and cultural advocate, he has played a central role in nurturing generations of Singapore jazz musicians. Many of today’s leading players in the local scene trace their development—directly or indirectly—to his guidance and example.
Through teaching, workshops, and leadership roles in festivals and institutions, Jeremy has helped create pathways for young musicians to grow, collaborate, and find their voices. His approach to mentorship mirrors his musical values: supportive, disciplined, and rooted in listening. Jazz, in his view, thrives only when knowledge is shared and communities are built intentionally.
This commitment has been instrumental in establishing Singapore as a city where jazz is not merely imported, but created, questioned, and renewed.
3. Jazz as Cultural Continuity
At the Lion City Jazz Festival, Jeremy Monteiro embodies continuity—between generations, cultures, and ideas. His involvement reflects the festival’s deeper purpose: celebrating jazz not just as a genre, but as a way of thinking and connecting.
Projects like Singaporeana, which explore local identity through the lens of jazz, resonate strongly with Jeremy’s belief that music should speak to place and people. Jazz, for him, is a bridge—capable of uniting diverse traditions while remaining open to reinvention.
As LCJF continues to evolve, Jeremy’s presence anchors the festival in its values: mentorship, artistic excellence, and cultural dialogue. His work reminds us that jazz is sustained not only by great performances, but by those willing to invest in its future.
