Christian Montanez

For Christian Montanez, music has never simply been background noise—though he knows exactly when it should be. Whether setting an elegant atmosphere with acoustic music or bringing a room to life with an energetic performance, Christian believes the best live music is shaped around the moment, the setting, and the people experiencing it.

A Long Island native, Christian’s musical journey began behind a drum kit before an innate curiosity led him to teach himself guitar, piano, and vocals. What began as a passion gradually developed into something more serious. While attending nursing school in the Philippines in 2014, Christian was featured on The Voice of The Philippines and was flown to Manila to perform in the show’s televised Blind Auditions.

After returning to New York, Christian pursued a career in nursing, but the desire to perform never left him. He began playing local bars and restaurants, steadily refining his sound, stage presence, and ability to connect with an audience. By 2019, those performances had evolved into a professional event-music business centered on creating personalized musical experiences for weddings, milestone celebrations, and special events.

Christian’s worlds of healthcare and music would unexpectedly come together following the COVID-19 pandemic when he became a featured member of the Northwell Nurse Choir on Season 16 of America’s Got Talent. Singing, speaking on behalf of the group, and even contributing beatboxing to their performance, Christian helped the choir earn Howie Mandel’s coveted Golden Buzzer—a moment that sent the group directly to the live shows and introduced their story to millions of viewers.

The composure and adaptability developed in high-pressure clinical environments also shape Christian’s approach to events. He understands that weddings are live productions: timing matters, details matter, and plans sometimes change in an instant. His goal is to make the musical side of the day feel effortless for his clients, adapting naturally to each moment’s energy while maintaining the polished experience they envisioned.

Musically, that adaptability is where Christian shines. His repertoire spans generations and genres, and his arrangements can transform familiar songs to suit an entirely different setting—from reimagining a modern hip-hop or pop favorite as an elegant acoustic selection to building an energetic, full sound through live looping. Using guitar, vocals, and vocal percussion, Christian can construct layers in real time to create the impact of a one-man band. Just as comfortably, he can strip everything back to a guitar and voice when a ceremony or intimate cocktail hour calls for something understated.