Introducing the Splendid Opera Singer Monica Yunus
Monica Yunus and her father Dr. Muhammad Yunu I’m totally devoted to Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank’s micro-lending program. Sitting in New York front row seat a month ago, listening to Dr. Yunus tell the inspiring history of microfinance from Bangdalesh to Omaha, I had no idea that his daughter Monica Yunus is an opera singer with New York’s Metropolitan Opera.
Monica Yunus was born in 1979 in Chittagong, Bangladesh to Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus and his then wife, Vera Forostenko. Yunus has one younger half-sister, Dina Yunus. Yunus’ parents met in 1967 while attending Vanderbilt University. They were married in 1970. Yunus’ parents’ marriage ended within months of her birth, and Forostenko returned with Monica to the United States claiming that Bangladesh was not a good place to raise a baby. Forostenko is the daughter of Russian immigrants to Trenton, New Jersey, United States and she returned with Monica to live with them. via Wikipedia
Listening to Monica Yunus for two minutes leaves me emotionally breathless. No wonder the NYTimes calls her “especially winning” and the Charleston City Paper “utterly captivating”. Monica’s voice ranges from a low A 9A4) to a high F (F6).
Monica Yunus, daughter of Dr. Muhammad YunusI’ll write more about Monica Yunus in my Journal, which is coming together around her, Daniel Pearl and Elisha Abas, who I heard last Sunday in a piano recital that left me weeping.
Take a listen to Monica Yunus singing and also an informative, audio interview with Luis Figueroa.
“Here, it is beautiful” by Rachmaninov
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Reader Comments (3)
where did you see elisha abas perform, in Israel? US?
Interesting that Dr. Yunus has a daughter in New York City - I wonder if she's involved at all with Grameen Bank's branch in NYC? I just found out they opened one - interesting he's bringin microfinance to US urban poor! There's actually a documentary premiering this week at Sundance about it - the film follows Grameen America's first year - I wonder if Monica is in it. Check it out, if you want: www.tocatchadollar.com
I saw Elisha Abas perform in New York. And a little over a year later, I am honored to write that I have been invited to a small gathering/recital/recording studio performance in early February of his next album. What an unexpected gift today.
When I read the invite, I said "It couldn't be!" But it is indeed Elisha Abas. I am so moved.