Photo: Original: Feast of Music from New York City, United States / Derivative work: Danyele / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Meredith Monk is the kind of artist who makes me rethink what music can even be. Using her voice as a pure instrument, stripped of words, she carves out emotion that ordinary lyrics never reach. The fact that she's worked across composing, dance, theatre, and film, and recorded so extensively for ECM, tells me she refuses to sit inside any single box. A MacArthur Fellowship and a 1972 Guggenheim aren't handed out lightly, and her opera Atlas shows real ambition. I'll be honest, her work isn't always easy listening, but that's exactly why it stays with me long after it ends.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Meredith Monk
- Name (Japanese)
- メレディス・モンク
- Reading
- めれでぃす・もんく
- Born
- November 20, 1942 (age 83)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Horse
- Origin
- Queens, New York, United States
- Occupation
- singer / composer / choreographer / theatre director / actor
2. Background
- University
- Sarah Lawrence College
Awards & achievements
- 1972 Guggenheim Fellowship
- MacArthur Fellows Program
- Courage Award for the Arts
- Bessie Awards
- Officer of Arts and Letters
- Doris Duke Performing Artist Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Impermanence | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Meredith Monk born?
Born November 20, 1942 (age 83).
Where is Meredith Monk from?
Meredith Monk is from Queens, New York, United States.
What does Meredith Monk do?
Meredith Monk works as singer, composer, choreographer, theatre director, actor.
What is Meredith Monk known for?
Notable works include Impermanence.
Singer — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.