Community Corner
Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble: On Behalf of Nature
Meredith Monk—iconic composer, singer, director/choreographer and filmmaker—creates works that thrive at the intersection of music and movement, image and object, light and sound, in an effort to discover and weave together new modes of perception. A pioneer in what is now called “extended vocal technique” and “interdisciplinary performance,” Monk’s exploration of the voice as an instrument expands the boundaries of musical composition, creating landscapes of sound that unearth feelings, energies and memories for which there are no words. Named Musical America’s 2012 Composer of the Year, Monk and her music embody an alchemical mixture of technical virtuosity, poignant directness, interpretive suppleness and visceral excitement. Over the course of the last five decades, she has garnered substantial critical acclaim and was proclaimed a “magician of the voice” and “one of America’s coolest composers” by Common Ground magazine.