Duet Behavior 2026

An intimate evening with the music of Meredith Monk. Joined by percussionist and composer John Hollenbeck, they revisit her repertoire – opening it up, stretching it, and reshaping it in real time. Her voice collides and intertwines with his inventive percussion, resulting in new arrangements of iconic compositions, along with a few new ones, all brought vividly to life. 

Meredith Monk is a composer, singer, director/choreographer, filmmaker – and truly a genre unto herself. For over sixty years, she has built a body of work in which music, movement, light, and space converge, forever changing the field of music and performing arts. Monk, who has devoted her life to exploring the possibilities of the human voice, appeared at Holland Festival in 2023 with the world premiere of her performance Indra’s Net. John Hollenbeck, a percussionist with an endlessly creative musical mind, brings ideas that seem to multiply the moment you hear them. As a composer, he blends jazz and contemporary music into a distinctive, consistently surprising style. 

I love to see Meredith Monk’s work at the festival; I find her work incredibly courageous.

— Hildur Guðnadóttir, associate artist 2026

Hildur Guðnadóttir and Meredith Monk

Meredith Monk is a key source of inspiration for associate artist Hildur Guðnadóttir. On June 19th, the documentary Monk in Pieces will also be screened – a layered portrait of Monk’s life and work – followed by a conversation between Meredith Monk and Hildur Guðnadóttir.