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Equally at home in concert, recital or on the operatic stage, Monica Yunus is quickly establishing herself as one of America's most promising young sopranos. She has been called “especially winning” by The New York Times, and commended for her “rich and sensuous voice [that] was utterly captivating,” by the Charleston City Paper. Her performance as Gilda in Rigoletto was applauded by Opera Online as “a performance that was quintessentially, Gilda. Her delivery was sweet, strong, smooth evocative of the moment she was singing and most importantly, flexible and dynamic."
During the 2008 – 2009 season Ms. Yunus returns to the Metropolitan Opera for performances at their 125th Anniversary Gala, as Poussette in Manon, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and Yvette in La Rondine. In addition, she will be heard in concert at the Tilles Center in New York as well as at the Univerity of Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala City. Engagements in future seasons include leading roles with the Washington National Opera among many others.
The 2007 - 2008 season found Ms. Yunus performing with Placido Domingo in concert at The Jordan Festival and returning to The Metropolitan Opera as Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, as well as singing the role of Norina in Don Pasquale with the Syracuse Opera in a performance that was hailed by The Post Standard as a “superior vocal and comic performance. Her light, strong and flexible voice ascends to dizzying heights with security and a fine sense of sound, as well as a superb sense of character. Rarely has an ingenue received or deserved so many laughs for her playing of a demure young maid who instantly morphs into a spendthrift termagant.” In addition, she opened The Al Bustan International Festival of Music and Arts in Beirut, Lebanon with a gala performance, and offered recitals in Sarasota, Florida and at the River to River Festival in New York City.
In the 2006-2007 season Ms. Yunus was Papagena in Die Zauberflöte at The Metropolitan Opera, sang Zémire in Zémire et Azor with Arizona Opera, Lucia in the North American Premiere of Zandonai's La Farsa Amorosa with Teatro Grattacielo at Alice Tully Hall in New York, and returned to the Spoleto Festival USA as Argentine in the American Premiere of Gluck’s L’Ile de Merlin and for a concert performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. She offered recitals in the Berkshires, in Little Rock, Arkansas under the auspices of The Marilyn Horne Foundation, at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, as well as at the Russian Consulate Gala concert.
The soprano made her critically acclaimed Metropolitan Opera debut as Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro, conducted by James Levine, and has since joined the company as Poussette in Manon, as well as for performances in Die Frau Ohne Schatten, Le Rossignol, and The Queen of Spades. She debuted with both Austin Lyric Opera and Anchorage Opera as Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and reprised that role with the PORTopera as well as for a return engagement to the Spoleto Festival USA. She was Gretel in Hansel and Gretel with the Palm Beach Opera, under the baton of Julius Rudel, Adele in Die Fledermaus and Gretel both with the Nashville Opera, and had her role debut as Gilda in Rigoletto with Granite State Opera. She portrayed the role of Servilia in La Clemenza di Tito and Polly in Die Dreigroshenoper both with the Pittsburgh Opera Center, was Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera with the Palm Beach Opera, and Fleurette in Offenbach’s Bluebeard while a member of the Young American Artist Program at Glimmerglass Opera. Ms. Yunus made her European operatic debut as Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera with Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin, where she also appeared with one day's notice as Amor in Orfeo ed Euridice.
Ms. Yunus’ many concert and recital appearances include recitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh, at Carnegie Hall's Weill Hall, Alice Tully Hall, New York's Cooper-Hewitt Museum, Spain's Manuel De Falla Hall, the Los Angeles Da Camera Society (under the auspices of the Marilyn Horne Foundation), and Madrid's Auditorio Nacional, with her majesty Queen Sofia in attendance. She sang Mahler's Symphony No. 4 with New York City's MetroChamber Orchestra, and the role of Laurie in the World Premiere recording of Copland’s The Tender Land Suite on the KOCH International label.
Ms. Yunus, who earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from The Juilliard School, has won The Florida Grand Opera Competition, Palm Beach Opera Competition, the Lee Schaenen Foundation Award, the Sullivan Foundation Award, and The Mirjam Helin International Competition in Helsinki, Finland, among many others. Born in Chittagong, Bangladesh to Russian and Bangladeshi parents,
Ms. Yunus was raised in New Jersey.
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