Last semester, Meredith Monk served as a Distinguished Visiting Artist at The Juilliard School, engaging students from the Music, Dance, and Drama divisions in her interdisciplinary approach to performance. Monk is recognized for integrating voice, movement, and imagery in her work—a method she describes as creating “one poem.” Her residency included workshops where students explored embodiment exercises and rehearsed pieces such as Panda Chant II.
Pianist Max Hammond (MM ’26) participated closely with Monk during her residency. Reflecting on his experience, Hammond said, “As classical musicians, we often think of the body merely as a conduit for music. But Meredith thinks of it as the music itself.” Students were guided by Monk’s vocal ensemble and collaborators in learning how to physically inhabit the music before approaching the repertoire. Hammond described early rehearsals: “[We were] walking across the room, taking up space in different ways.”
Monk shared her philosophy during Juilliard’s Who’s in the Lobby event: “The score is the skeleton. Music lives beyond.” Hammond elaborated on this idea: “It’s a sentiment that is shared by many performers and composers,” he said, “but not necessarily in the way that Meredith means it, which I think is really compelling.” He emphasized that what appears on a musical score is necessary but does not capture all that creates a compelling performance.
Monk’s influence extended to public performances. As part of Juilliard at Zankel Hall: A Celebration of Meredith Monk this past April, students performed several of her solo and chamber works at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall. Many pieces incorporated both movement and vocalization for singers and instrumentalists.
Hammond noted that working with Monk encouraged vulnerability and experimentation among participants: “We spent hours debating four clicks on a metronome,” he recalled. “She’s someone who deeply understands that there’s no such thing as just the music.”
Juilliard’s Creative Enterprise initiative curated these events with support from Jody and John Arnhold and the Arnhold Foundation. The initiative aims to foster innovation, collaboration, and artistic risk-taking within the institution.
