Meredith Jane Monk (born November 20, 1942) is an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

performer The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perfor ...

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

vocalist Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...

, and

choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

. From the 1960s onwards, Monk has created multi-disciplinary works which combine music,

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

, and

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

, recording extensively for ECM Records. In 1991, Monk composed ''

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geograp ...

'', an opera, commissioned and produced by the Houston Opera'' '' and the American Music Theater Festival. Her music has been used in films by the

Coen Brothers Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...

(''

The Big Lebowski ''The Big Lebowski'' () is a 1998 crime comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. He is assaulted as a result of mistaken ...

'', 1998) and

Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as Fran� ...

(''Nouvelle Vague'', 1990 and ''

Notre musique ''Notre musique'' (English: ''Our Music'') is a 2004 film directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The film reflects on violence, morality, and the representation of violence in film, and touches especially on past colonialism and the current Israeli–Pal ...

'', 2004).

Trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...

musician

DJ Shadow Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ, songwriter and record producer. His debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'' was released in 1996. Biography Early years (1989–1995) DJ Sh ...

sampled Monk's "

Dolmen Music ''Dolmen Music'' is a 1981 studio album by American composer and vocalist Meredith Monk. Recorded in March 1980 and January 1981, it was released on the ECM New Series label. The recording is Monk's first of 12 recordings with the ECM record label ...

" on the song "

Midnight in a Perfect World "Midnight in a Perfect World" is a song by American DJ and music producer DJ Shadow. It was released as the lead single from his debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'', on September 2, 1996. The song peaked at number 52 on the Scottish Singles ...

". In 2015, she was awarded the

National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

Early life

Meredith Monk was born to businessman Theodore Glenn Monk (1909–1998) and singer Audrey Lois Monk ''(née'' Audrey Lois Zellman; 1911–2009), in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, New York.Citing "Meredith J. Monk". DOB: 20 November 1942.

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, New York. Certificate Number 35634. (accessible ''via''

Ancestry.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018, ...

, subscription required) Her mother, a professional singer of popular and classical music known under the stage name of Audrey Marsh, was herself the daughter of professional musicians: the Russian bass-baritone Joseph B. Zellman, and Rose (Kornicker) Zellman, a concert pianist of German Jewish background from Philadelphia. Meredith has a sister, Tracy (born 1948). Monk has a bachelor's degree from

Sarah Lawrence Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pio ...

, where she studied composition with then-graduate student and

Alwin Nikolais Alwin Nikolais (November 25, 1910 – May 8, 1993) was an American choreographer, dancer, composer, musician, teacher. He had created the Nikolais Dance Theatre, and was best known for his self-designed innovative costume, lighting and production ...

dancer

Beverly Schmidt Blossom Beverly Schmidt Blossom (August 28, 1926 – November 1, 2014) was an American modern dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She was an original member and soloist with the Alwin Nikolais Dance Theater, a modern dance choreographer for Illinois Danc ...

. At the age of three Monk was diagnosed with a visual impairment called strabismus and her mother signed her up to a

Dalcroze Eurhythmics Dalcroze eurhythmics, also known as the Dalcroze method or simply eurhythmics, is one of several developmental approaches including the Kodály method, Orff Schulwerk and Suzuki Method used to teach music to students. Eurhythmics was develope ...

programme, a technique which integrates music with movement. Monk says that it "has influenced everything I’ve done. It’s why dance and movement and film are so integral to my music. It’s why I see music so visually.”

Career

Meredith Monk is primarily known for her vocal innovations, including a wide range of

extended techniques In music, extended technique is unconventional, unorthodox, or non-traditional methods of singing or of playing musical instruments employed to obtain unusual sounds or timbres.Burtner, Matthew (2005).Making Noise: Extended Techniques after Exper ...

, which she first developed in her solo performances prior to forming her own ensemble. In December 1961, she appeared at the Actor's Playhouse in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

(NYC) as a solo dancer in an

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

children's musical theater adaptation of

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

' '' A Christmas Carol'', entitled '' Scrooge'' (music and lyrics by Norman Curtis; directed and choreographed by Patricia Taylor Curtis). In 1964, Monk graduated from

Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. The college models its approach to education after the Supervision system, Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials. Sara ...

after studying with

, and in 1968 she founded The House, a company dedicated to an interdisciplinary approach to performance. Monk's performances have influenced many artists, including

Bruce Nauman Bruce Nauman (born December 6, 1941) is an American artist. His practice spans a broad range of media including sculpture, photography, neon, video, drawing, printmaking, and performance. Nauman lives near Galisteo, New Mexico. Life and work ...

, whom she met in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

in 1968. In 1978 Monk formed

Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble Meredith is a Welsh Brittonic family name, and is also sometimes used as a girl's or boy's forename. The Welsh form is "Maredudd". People * Meredith (given name) * Meredith (surname) Places Australia * Meredith, Victoria United States * Meredi ...

(modeled after similar ensembles of musical colleagues, such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass), to explore new and wider vocal textures and forms, which often were contrasted with minimal instrumental textures. Monk began a long-standing relationship with the

Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in the United States and, to ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, which continues to showcase her work to this day. During this period Monk recorded ''

'' (1979), her first album released on

Manfred Eicher Manfred Eicher (born 9 July 1943) is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records. Life and career Eicher was born in Lindau, Germany. He studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He started as a double-bass player of classi ...

's record label ECM, in 1981. In the 1980s, Monk wrote and directed two films, ''Ellis Island'' (1981), and ''Book of Days'' (1988). These developed from her idea; "One day during summer of 1984, as I was sweeping the floor of my house in the country, the image of a young girl (in black and white) and a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

street in the

Jewish community Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

(also in black and white) came to me." Monk tells this account in the liner notes of the ECM-recording. Apart from the film, different versions exist of this piece. Two are for the concert hall, and an album, produced by Meredith Monk and Manfred Eicher, is "a film for the ears." Meredith Monk - Assorted Audio Cassette Tapes 02

Meredith Monk - Assorted Audio Cassette Tapes 02

In the early 1990s, Monk composed an opera called ''

'', which premiered in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, in 1991.Grimshaw, Jeremy
"Atlas, an opera in 3 parts for 18 voices & large ensemble"

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

. Retrieved 6 July 2013. She has also written pieces for instrumental ensembles and symphony orchestras. Her first symphonic work was ''Possible Sky'' (2003). It was followed by ''Stringsongs'' (2004) for string quartet, which was commissioned by the

Kronos Quartet The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for almost 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classic ...

. In 2005, events were held all over the world in celebration of the 40th anniversary of her career, including a concert in

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

featuring

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

Terry Riley Terrence Mitchell "Terry" Riley (born June 24, 1935) is an American composer and performing musician best known as a pioneer of the minimalist school of composition. Influenced by jazz and Indian classical music, his music became notable for ...

DJ Spooky Paul Dennis Miller (born September 6, 1970), known professionally as DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, is an American electronic and experimental hip hop musician whose work is often called by critics "illbient" or "trip hop". He is a turntabli ...

(who sampled Monk on his album '' Drums of Death''),

Ursula Oppens Ursula Oppens (born February 2, 1944) is an American classical concert pianist and educator. She has received five Grammy Award nominations. Biography Ursula Oppens was born on February 2, 1944, in New York City into a highly musical family fr ...

, Bruce Brubaker, John Zorn, and the new music ensembles

Alarm Will Sound Alarm Will Sound is a 20-member chamber orchestra that focuses on recordings and performances of contemporary classical music. Its performances have been described as "equal parts exuberance, nonchalance, and virtuosity" by the ''Financial Times' ...

and Bang on a Can All-Stars, along with the

Pacific Mozart Ensemble Pacific Edge Voices (formerly The Pacific Mozart Ensemble (PME)) is a volunteer choral organization based in Berkeley, CA. The group was formed to provide a chorus of professional quality for highly skilled and experienced singers who did not wi ...

. Meredith Monk has been

composer in residence Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

for

, concluding in 2015. In an interview, Monk said that her favourite music includes Brazilian music, especially

Caetano Veloso Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo, which encomp ...

's recordings, the music by

Mildred Bailey Mildred Bailey (born Mildred Rinker; February 27, 1907 – December 12, 1951) was a Native American jazz singer during the 1930s, known as "The Queen of Swing", "The Rockin' Chair Lady" and "Mrs. Swing". She recorded the songs " For Sentimenta ...

("the great jazz singer from the ‘30s and ‘40s"), and Bartók's cycle for piano '' Mikrokosmos''.

Honors and legacy

Monk has won numerous awards, including a

MacArthur Fellowship The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the MacArthur Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to ...

and the

Creative Capital Creative Capital is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in New York City that supports artists across the United States through funding, counsel, gatherings, and career development services. Since its founding in 1999, Creative Capital has commi ...

Award in the discipline of Performing Arts. She has also been a MacDowell Fellow six times (1987, 1988, 1994, 1996, 2001, Winter 2007). She has been awarded honorary Doctor of Arts degrees from

Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1860, ...

, the

University of the Arts (Philadelphia) The University of the Arts (UArts) is a private art university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its campus makes up part of the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, Philadelphia. Dating back to the 1870s, it is one of the oldest schools of art or ...

, the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

, the

San Francisco Art Institute San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) was a private college of contemporary art in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1871, SFAI was one of the oldest art schools in the United States and the oldest west of the Mississippi River. Approximately ...

and the

Boston Conservatory Boston Conservatory at Berklee (formerly The Boston Conservatory) is a private performing arts conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, music, and theater. Boston Conservatory was founded ...

. In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Monk's name and picture. In 1985, Monk won an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence for her contributions to the off-Broadway community. In 2007, she received in Italy the

Demetrio Stratos Efstratios Dimitriou ( el, Ευστράτιος Δημητρίου; 22 April 1945 – 13 June 1979), known professionally as Demetrio Stratos, was a Greek lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, music researcher, and co-founder, frontman and lead singe ...

International Award for musical experimentation. On September 10, 2015, US President

presented Monk with a

, the highest honor in the United States specifically given for achievement in the arts. Monk was given

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize or Gish Prize is given annually to "a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind's enjoyment and understanding of life." It is among the most prestigious and on ...

in 2017. Her music was used in films by

David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...

('' True Stories'', 1986), the

(''

'', 1998),

(''Nouvelle Vague'', 1990 and ''

'', 2004), and in '' The Rapture'' (1991). Hip hop artist

sampled "Dolmen Music" on the song "

" ('' Endtroducing.....'', 1995). French singer Camille paid an explicit homage to Meredith in her song "The Monk" (''

Music Hole ''Music Hole'' is the third studio album by French singer Camille, released on April 7, 2008. It was co-written with English producer MaJiKer. In the EPK for the album, Camille advised that the title "Music Hole" refers to the main parts of her ...

'', 2008) which in its construction also evoked Monk's work.

Works

Instrumental works

*''Plainsong for Bill's Bojo'' electric organ (1971) *''Paris'' for solo piano (1972) *''Ellis Island'' for two pianos (1986) *''Window in 7's'' for solo piano (1986) *''Parlour Games'' for two pianos (1988) *''Phantom Waltz'' for two pianos (1990) *''St. Petersburg Waltz'' for solo piano (1994) *''Steppe Music'' for solo piano (1997) *''Clarinet Study #4'', for solo

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

(1999) *''Cello Study #1'' for solo

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

and voice (1999) *''Trumpet Study #1'' for solo

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

(1999) *'' Possible Sky'' for orchestra and voices (commissioned by

Michael Tilson Thomas Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He is Artistic Director Laureate of the New World Symphony, an American orchestral academy based in Miami Beach, Florida, Music Director Laureate of ...

for the

New World Symphony New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, 2003) *'' Stringsongs'' for

string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...

(commissioned by the

, 2004)

Vocal works

*''16 Millimeter Earrings'' for voice,

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

and tapes (1966) *''Blueprint: Overload/Blueprint 2'' for solo voice, echoplex and tape (1967) *''Dying Swan with Sunglasses'' (1967) *''Blueprint (3), (4)'' (1968) *''Co-op'' (1968) *''Juice: A Theater Cantata'' for 85 voices, Jew's harp and two violins (1969) *''Needle-Brain Lloyd and the Systems Kid'' for 150 voices, electric organ, guitar and flute (1970) *''Vessel: An Opera Epic'' for 75 voices,

electronic organ An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since developed ...

dulcimer The word dulcimer refers to two families of musical string instruments. Hammered dulcimers The word ''dulcimer'' originally referred to a trapezoidal zither similar to a psaltery whose many strings are struck by handheld "hammers". Variants of ...

and

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

(1971) *''Paris'' for piano, unaccompanied vocal duo (1972) *''Our Lady of Late'' for solo voice and

wine glass A wine glass is a type of glass that is used to drink and taste wine. Most wine glasses are stemware (goblets), i.e., they are composed of three parts: the bowl, stem, and foot. Shapes The effect of glass shape on the taste of wine has not been ...

(1972) *''Education of the Girlchild: an Opera'' for 6 voices, electric organ and piano (1972–73) *''Chacon'' for 25 voices, piano and percussion (1974) *''Anthology and Small Scroll'' for solo voice, piano and soprano recorder (1975) *''Venice/Milan'' for 15 voices and piano four hands (1976) *''Quarry: An Opera'' for 38 voices, 2

pump organ The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...

s, 2 soprano

recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...

s, tape (1976) *''Songs from the Hill'' for unaccompanied solo voice (1976) *''Tablet'' for 4 voices, piano four hands, 2 soprano recorders (1976) *''The Plateau Series'' for 5 voices and tape (1977) *''Recent Ruins'' for 14 voices, piano and 2 electric organs (1979) *''Dolmen Music'' for 6 voices, cello,

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

(1979) *'' Turtle Dreams (Waltz)'' for 4 voices and 2 electric organs (1980) *''Specimen Days'' for 14 voices, piano and 2 electric organs (1981) *''View No. 2'' for solo voice and piano (1982) *''Tokyo Cha-Cha'' for 6 voices and 2 electric organs (1983) *''2 Men Walking'' for 3 voices and electric organs (1983) *''The Games'' for 16 voices,

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

, keyboards, Flemish bagpipes,

bagpipe Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, ...

s, Chinese horn and

rauschpfeife Rauschpfeife is a commonly used term for a specific type of capped conical reed musical instrument of the woodwind family, used in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. In common with the crumhorn and cornamuse, it is a wooden double-reed inst ...

(1983) *''Astronaut Anthem'' for chorus

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

(1983) *''Panda Chant I'' for 4 voices (1984) *''Panda Chant II'' for 8 voices (1984) *''Graduation Song'' for 16 voices (1984) *''City Songs'' (1984) *'' Book of Days'' for 25 voices, synthesizer,

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

or 7 voices, synthesizer (Chamber Version) (1985) recorded for ECM *''Scared Song'' song for solo voice, synthesizer and piano (1986) *''I Don't Know'' song for solo voice and piano (1986) *''Double Fiesta'' solo voice and 2 pianos (1986) *''String'' unaccompanied solo voice (1986) *''Duet Behavior'' for 2 voices (1987) *''The Ringing Place'' for 9 voices (1987) *''Cat Song'' for solo voice (1988) *''Processional'' for solo piano and voice (1988) *''Light Songs'' for solo voice (1988) *''Fayum Music'' for voice, hammered dulcimer, double ocarina (1988) *''Book of Days (film score)'' for 10 voices, cello, shawm, synthesizer, hammered dulcimer, bagpipe and

hurdy-gurdy The hurdy-gurdy is a string instrument that produces sound by a hand-crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a vi ...

(1988) *''

: An Opera in Three Parts'' for 18 voices 2 keyboards, clarinet, bass clarinet, sheng, bamboo sax, 2 violins, viola, 2 cellos, French horn, percussion, shawm (1991) *''Three Heavens and Hells'' for 4 voices (1992) *''Volcano Songs (Duet)'' for 2 voices (1993) *''St. Petersburg Waltz'' for solo piano and 2 voices (1993) *''New York Requiem'' for solo voice and piano (1993) *''Volcano Songs (Solo)'' for solo voice, voice with taped voices and piano (1994) *''American Archaeology #1: Roosevelt Island'' for 9 voices, organ, bass, medieval drum and shawm (1994) *''Star Trek: Envoy'' for composing/directing/performing in the Den-Kai/Krikiki Ensemble (1995) *''Nightfall'' for 16 voices (1995) *''The Politics of Quiet'' for 10 voices, 2 keyboards,

horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

bowed psaltery The bowed psaltery is a type of psaltery or zither that is played with a bow. In contrast with the centuries-old plucked psaltery, the bowed psaltery appears to be a 20th-century invention. History Violin zither In 1925 a German patent was issu ...

(1996) *''Magic Frequencies'' for 6 voices, 2 keyboards, percussion, theremin and violin (1998) *''Cello Study #1'' solo cello and voice (1999) *''Eclipse Variations'' for 4 voices, esraj, sampler, recorded in surround sound, commissioned by

Starkland Starkland is an independent record label based in Boulder, Colorado that specializes in alternative classical music. It was founded in 1991 by Thomas Steenland. Starkland's first two CDs offered all the principal 1960s music from the "organized s ...

(2000) *''Micki Suite'' for 4 voices (2000) *''mercy'' for 7 voices, 2 keyboards, percussion, multiple woodwinds, violin (2001) *''When There Were Work Songs'' for vocal ensemble (2002, commissioned by the Western Wind Vocal Ensemble) *''Last Song'' for solo voice and piano (2003) *''impermanence (part 1)'' for 8 voices, piano, keyboard,

marimba The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...

, percussion, violin, multiple woodwinds,

bicycle wheel A bicycle wheel is a wheel, most commonly a wire wheel, designed for a bicycle. A pair is often called a wheelset, especially in the context of ready built "off the shelf" performance-oriented wheels. Bicycle wheels are typically designed ...

(2004) *''Night'' for 8 voices, bowed psaltry, chamber orchestra (1996/2005) *''impermanence (part 2)'' for 8 voices, piano, keyboard, marimba, vibraphone, percussion, violin, woodwinds and bicycle wheel (2006) *''Songs of Ascension'' for vocal ensemble, woodwinds, percussion, shrutis and string quartet (2006, commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, with Ann Hamilton) *''Basket Rondo'' for 6 voices (2007), commissioned by the Western Wind Vocal Ensemble *''Weave'' for solo voices, chorus and orchestra (2010, commissioned by

Grand Center The Grand Center Arts District is located in the Midtown St. Louis Historic District (on the National Register of Historic Places) north of the Saint Louis University campus. Referred to colloquially as Grand Center, the neighborhood's formal na ...

Inc and the

Los Angeles Master Chorale The Los Angeles Master Chorale is a professional chorus in Los Angeles, California, and one of the resident companies of both The Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1964 by Roger Wagner to be one of the t ...

) *''Quilting'' for 9 voices (2011) *''On Behalf of Nature'' for 8 voices, violin, keyboards, French horn, clarinet, bass and contrabass clarinet, wooden flutes, vibraphone, marimba and percussion (2013)

Discography

* ''

Key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

'' (Increase Records, 1971 / Lovely Music, 1977 and 1995) * '' Our Lady of Late'' (Minona Records, 1973 / wergo, 1986) * '' Songs from the Hill/Tablet'' (wergo, 1979) * ''

'' (ECM, 1981) * '' Turtle Dreams'' (ECM, 1983) * '' Do You Be'' (ECM, 1987) * '' Book of Days'' (ECM, 1990) * ''

Facing North ''Facing North'' is the eighth album by Meredith Monk, released in 1992 through ECM New Series. Track listing Personnel ;Musicians *Robert Een – pitch pipe, vocals * Meredith Monk – vocals, piano, organ, pitch pipe ;Produ ...

'' (ECM, 1992) * '' Atlas: An Opera in Three Parts'' (ECM, 1993) * ''

Volcano Songs ''Volcano Songs'' is the tenth album by Meredith Monk, released on March 11, 1997 through ECM New Series. Track listing Personnel ;Musicians *Allison Easter – vocals (12), photography *Dina Emerson – vocals (12) *Katie Ge ...

'' (ECM, 1997) * ''

Mercy Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French ''merci'', from Medieval Latin ''merced-'', ''merces'', from Latin, "price paid, wages", from ''merc-'', ''merxi'' "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, relig ...

'' (ECM, 2002) * ''

Impermanence Impermanence, also known as the philosophical problem of change, is a philosophical concept addressed in a variety of religions and philosophies. In Eastern philosophy it is notable for its role in the Buddhist three marks of existence. It ...

'' (ECM, 2008) * ''

Beginnings Beginnings may refer to: Literature * ''Beginnings'' (collection), a 1988 collection of short stories and poems by Gordon R. Dickson * ''Beginnings'' (Honorverse), a 2013 collection of short stories in the Worlds of Honor series * ''Beginnings ...

'' (Tzadik, 2009), compositions from 1966 to 1980 * '' Songs of Ascension'' (ECM, 2011) * '' Piano Songs'' (ECM, 2014) * ''On Behalf Of Nature'' (ECM, 2016) * ''Memory Game'' (Cantaloupe, 2020)

Films

* 1983 — '' Turtle Dreams'' - Public access film. * 1989 — ''Book of Days''. Director and co-writer with Tone Blevins. * 1993 — ''The Sensual Nature of Sound: 4 Composers – Laurie Anderson, Tania León, Meredith Monk, Pauline Oliveros''. Directed by Michael Blackwood. * 1983 — ''Four American Composers'' "Meredith Monk." Directed by

Peter Greenaway Peter Greenaway, (born 5 April 1942) is a Welsh film director, screenwriter and artist. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Flemish painting in particular. Common traits in his films are th ...

. * 1996 — ''Speaking of Dance: Conversations With Contemporary Masters of American Modern Dance''. No. 22: Meredith Monk. American Dance Festival. Directed by Douglas Rosenberg. * 2020 – ''ECM50 , 1981 – Meredith Monk: "Dolmen Music"'', short documentary about Meredith Monk's work for ECM Records, dir. Ingo J. Biermann, 2020, 21 min.

References

External links

Meredith Monk's official site

Meredith Monk on ECM Records

Meredith Monk

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...

. *
Meredith Monk Archive, 1959-2006
Music Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. * * * * * *
Meredith Monk
in th
Video Data BankMeredith Monk interview Meredith Monk performs ''Our Lady of Late'', for solo voice, wine glass, and percussion, July 23, 1975, Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, Naropa Institute, Boulder, ColoradoArchive film of Meredith Monk/The House performing Magic Frequencies in 1998 at Jacob's Pillow
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monk, Meredith 1942 births Living people 20th-century American composers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women musicians 20th-century American women singers 20th-century classical composers 20th-century LGBT people 20th-century women composers 21st-century American composers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women musicians 21st-century American women singers 21st-century classical composers 21st-century LGBT people 21st-century women composers American classical composers American lesbian musicians American opera composers American people of German-Jewish descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent American women classical composers American women in electronic music Avant-garde singers Bessie Award winners ECM Records artists George School alumni LGBT classical composers LGBT people from New York (state) MacArthur Fellows Postmodern composers Sarah Lawrence College alumni Women opera composers