Monk, Meredith

Meredith Monk (born New York, NY, November 20, 1942) is a composer, singer, director/choreographer and creator of new opera, music theater works, films, and installations.

She pioneered what is now called "extended vocal technique" and "interdisciplinary performance." During a career that spans more than forty years she has been acclaimed by audiences and critics as a major creative force in the performing arts. In 1968, Monk founded the House Foundation for the Arts, a company dedicated to an interdisciplinary approach to performance. In 1978, she formed Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble to expand her musical textures and forms. Monk is a pioneer in site-specific performance, creating works such as Juice: A Theater Cantata In 3 Installments (1969) and American Archeology #1: Roosevelt Island (1994). She is also an accomplished filmmaker who has made a series of award-winning films including Ellis Island (1981) and her first feature, Book Of Days (1988). A retrospective art exhibition, Meredith Monk: Archeology of an Artist, was held at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center in 1996. A monograph, Meredith Monk, edited by Deborah Jowitt was published by Johns Hopkins Press in 1997. Monk continues to compose music and create new works for the theater.

From the description of Meredith Monk archive, 1959-2006. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 123237594