Born in Lima, Peru Meredith Monk is an American composer, singer, playwright and filmmaker. Monk has won a staggering amount of awards and grants in the art world, including the MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, as well as honorary degrees from Bard College, the Juilliard School and the San Francisco Art Institute. She is known largely for her innovation in vocal techniques, exploring a wide array of vocal textures. Her work has been performed by such notable contemporary artists as Bjork, Terry Riley, John Zorn and the Kronos Quartet.