Sound Healing and Musical Talks
Week of February 1, 2025
Candlelight Sound Healing with Violin & Cello
Melt away your travel stress as violinist Monique Mead and cellist Amelia Zitoun guide you to stillness with enchanting melodies and the healing tones singing bowls, setting the stage for a magical week at The Ranch.
Sound Healing with Violin and Guitar
Monique Mead creates a meditative sound journey with singing bowls and violin in collaboration with guitarist TY Zhang. Stretch out and dissolve into blissful sound vibration and melody.
Musical Talks
Gaze into the inner workings of the music with talks by Monique Mead, ArcoStrum, Aloysia Friedmann, and Jon Kimura Parker.
- “Decoding the Concert Program” with Monique Mead and ArcoStrum
- “Classical Music Jeopardy” with Monique Mead, Aloysia Friedmann and Amelia Zitoun
- “Practice Tips from the Pros” with Monique Mead and Jon Kimura Parker
A Tapestry of Music and Verse
All 12 Chamber week festival artists join forces for a jazz-inspired program of music and verse.
A passionate ambassador of classical music, violinist Monique Mead enjoys a rich career as a performer, educator, and innovator. Inspired and mentored by Leonard Bernstein, Mead has devoted her performing career to building new audiences and deepening the musical experience for seasoned concertgoers. Her programs with major orchestras and festivals in the United States and Europe have drawn international acclaim for their popular appeal and innovative approach.
Interweaving live music with education and audience engagement at the highest level, her programs have reached millions through television appearances, a six-year radio series with the Munich Radio Orchestra, and nearly 20 years of collaborations with the Cologne Philharmonic, Munich Symphony, Düsseldorf Symphony, Berlin Radio Orchestra, RIAS Chamber Choir, Neue Philharmonie Westfalen, Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and the Mainly Mozart Festival, among others.
Currently, Monique is innovating at the intersection of music and wellness to address the ongoing mental health crisis. During the pandemic, she partnered with a mental health practice, Awareness & Wellness Center to open a sound healing studio in Pittsburgh where she weaves the sounds of singing bowls, violin and other instruments to induce deep relaxation and mental peace. In 2023 she founded the Scottie Sound Bath at Carnegie Mellon University and collaborated with researchers from the University of Pittsburgh to measure the impact on mood and stress in students, faculty, and staff with results showing a 70% decrease in stress. Other music and wellness modalities included performances that integrate full-sensory experiences, collaborative music making, movement, guided breathwork, and mindful listening in a relaxed setting.
A passionate chamber musician, Monique has served as Artistic Director of the Rancho La Puerta Chamber Music Festival since 2018 and prior to that spent eight years as Co-Director of the Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In 2017 she founded a chamber music camp at Olympic National Park for young musicians, and since 2022 has directed Azure Family Concerts, a chamber series for families with autism. She is a member of the Trio con Brio, with her daughter/harpist Isabel Cardenes and son/pianist Tino Cardenes, with whom she presents a series of porch concerts every summer to bring Pittsburgh neighborhoods together.
Monique is on faculty at Carnegie Mellon University as Associate Professor and Director of Music Entrepreneurship, a program she founded in 2012. With a focus on experiential learning and community engagement, she launches new music initiatives and guides students to develop the professional skills needed to succeed in forging their unique paths in the music world.