Monica Witni (born May 6, 1930) is an American composer, pianist, playwright, and double bass player who was born in Fairfax, Minnesota. She began piano lessons at age six and studied with Jose Eschniz. She received scholarships to play double bass at Southern Illinois University and Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. Monica taught briefly and played double bass in a jazz trio and with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She married James Cassin in 1953, and published music under the names Monica Witni, Monica Witni Cassin, and under the pseudonym Mirriam Bowden Henningfeld. Her compositions include: Ballet Zarea and the Purple Rainbow (1968) Chamber Dimensions in Rhythm (viola) March, Fantasia, and Fugue (organ) Modal Etude (viola; 1948) String Quartet in e minor (1969) Summer Holiday (viola) Sweet One (viola) Twilight Serenade (viola) Electronic Tapestry (English horn, harp, celeste, vibraphone, and double bass) Musical theatre Wizard (1964) Opera Children of the Sun (three acts; 1975) Dark of Summer (one act; 1967) El Pope (one act; 1950) Orchestra Organ Concerto in c minor (1948) Piano Concerto in f minor Rhapsody Petite (oboe and string orchestra) Symphony #1 (1947) Symphony #2 (1956) Symphony #5 Tambores Subsurrantes Viola Concerto in c minor Play Black Camellia One of Us is Missing Song "I've Got to Face the Future" (with Jack Gould) References Women opera composers American contemporary classical composers Classical double-bassists 1930 births Possibly living people Pseudonyms String quartet composers American opera composers People from Minnesota Southern Illinois University alumni