The Kotas Project

Meredith Monk was born on November 20th 1942 in New York City. Monk attended Sarah Lawrence University where she studied with Beverly Schmidt Blossom. In 1978 Monk created the Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble with the goal of exploring vocal textures and forms. Monk also formed a close relationship with the Walker Art Center of Minneapolis. During the eighties Monk created and directed two feature films: Ellis Island and Book of Days. In 1991 Monk premiered her opera Atlas in Houston, Texas. Monk is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, the Creative Capital Award in the Discipline of Performing Arts, three Obie Awards including one for Sustained Excellence, the Demetrio Stratos International Award for Musical Experimentation, a National Medal of Arts, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Doris Duke Artist Award, a Yoko Ono Lennon Courage Award for the Arts, an inaugural USA Prudential Fellow Award, and The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. Monk Also has honorary Doctor of Arts Degrees from Bard College, The University of the Arts, the Julliard School, the San Francisco Art Institute, and the Boston Conservatory. Her Music has been featured in four films: The Big Lebowski, Nouvelle Vague, Notre Musique, and The Rapture