1. Monica Yunus is a Bangladeshi-American operatic soprano who has performed with many opera companies and music ensembles.
32 Facts About Monica Yunus
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Monica Yunus is the daughter of Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, banker, Nobel laureate economist and eventual chief adviser Muhammad Yunus.
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Monica Yunus was born in 1977 in Chattogram, Bangladesh to Muhammad Yunus, an economist and his then wife, Vera Forostenko, the daughter of Russian immigrants to Trenton, New Jersey.
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Monica Yunus speaks and writes fluently in Italian, Spanish, German, and French.
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Monica Yunus' grandmother was highly influential in encouraging her interest in singing.
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At a very early age, Monica Yunus' grandmother began taking her to sing in the choir at their Russian Orthodox Church, a choir Monica Yunus would sing with throughout her entire childhood.
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At the age of eleven, Monica Yunus' mother helped her begin studying voice formally through lessons.
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Shortly thereafter, Monica Yunus became a member of the Metropolitan Opera's Children's Chorus for a number of years.
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At 13, Monica Yunus was accepted to the prestigious Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts, and this is where she first became interested in becoming a professional opera singer.
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In 1997, after attending the prestigious Lawrenceville School, Monica Yunus entered the Juilliard School from which she graduated four years later with a Bachelor's in Vocal Performance.
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Monica Yunus studied at the Bay Area Summer Opera Theatre Institute in the summer of 2000.
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Monica Yunus remained at Juilliard for graduate studies and earned a master's degree in Vocal Performance in 2002.
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In 1999, Monica Yunus made her professional opera debut at an unusually young age with Palm Beach Opera in the role of Countess Olga in Umberto Giordano's Fedora after winning the Palm Beach Opera Competition that same year.
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Monica Yunus took first place at the Florida Grand Opera Competition and was awarded the Bori Grant For Study Abroad that year.
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In 2000, Monica Yunus returned to Palm Beach Opera to perform the role of Oscar in Un ballo in maschera opposite noted singers Richard Leech and Aprile Millo.
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Monica Yunus was a finalist in the Lotte Lenya Competition.
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In 2001, Monica Yunus sang the role of Nanetta in Falstaff in her debut with Amato Opera.
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Monica Yunus performed the roles of Servilia in Mozart's La clemenza di Tito and Polly in Die Dreigroschenoper with Pittsburgh Opera as part of her internship there.
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Monica Yunus was awarded a career grant from the Lee Schaenen Foundation in 2002.
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Monica Yunus is the only singer born in Bangladesh to have sung at the Metropolitan Opera.
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Monica Yunus won the Willam Matheus Sullivan Foundation Singer Award in 2003.
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Monica Yunus made her debuts at Anchorage Opera and the Spoleto Festival as Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni.
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Monica Yunus made her debut with Granite State Opera as Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto and returned to Nashville Opera to perform the role of Adele in Die Fledermaus.
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Monica Yunus made her debuts with Port Opera and Austin Lyric Opera, both in the role of Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni.
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Monica Yunus performed the title role in Zemire et Amore with Arizona Opera and Lucia in the North American premiere of Riccardo Zandonai's La farsa amorosa with Teatro Grattacielo at Alice Tully Hall in New York City.
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Monica Yunus performed at the Spoleto Festival as Argentine in the American Premiere of Gluck's L'ile de Merlin and for a concert performance of Mahler's Symphony No 4 with New York City's MetroChamber Orchestra.
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Monica Yunus appeared in a recital with the Los Angeles Da Camera at Carnegie Hall that was hosted by the Marilyn Horne Foundation.
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In December 2006, Monica Yunus performed at the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert honoring her father.
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Monica Yunus performed in concert with Placido Domingo and Julia Migenes at the Cairo Opera House.
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Monica Yunus has since returned to the Met as the Novice in Suor Angelica, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Alice in Le comte Ory, Yvette in La rondine, the unborn in Die Frau ohne Schatten, and a member of the Quartet in the world premiere of The Enchanted Island.
31.
In 2004, Monica Yunus reconnected with her father Muhammad Monica Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, whom she had not seen since her early childhood.
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Monica Yunus is married to another opera singer, tenor Brandon McReynolds, whom she met at Juilliard.