Meet Winnie Muench.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your background.
A: My father was a musician with training from Juilliard, NYU, and Columbia University. He was in
charge of the music for the infamous fifties variety show, Your Show of Shows. He started a music
program at his university, and had an immaculate eye for identifying emerging artists. Now that I’m no
longer in the healthcare industry, I realized that I possess the same musical qualities as my dad. I am able
to bring business acumen to the arts, and I am very passionate about sharing the limitless possibilities of
the arts with the community of Sedona, especially for the youth. Patrick Schweiss was an inspiration for
me, to create the same amount of impact with dance, locally.
Q: What do you do in Sedona?
A: My primary role in Sedona is serving as chairman of the Sedona Chamber Ballet. Our mission is to
bring the best of dance to Sedona in the form of workshops, classes, and live performances. We are
thrilled to bring the American Ballet Theater to Sedona for live shows as one of our upcoming events.
Previously, we’ve hosted Ballet West, Louisville Ballet, and the Phoenix Ballet’s Nutcracker in
full-length, professional productions. I am so passionate about introducing our children to art through
dance. Every year, roughly 30 children participate in a Sedona ballet production. From our group of
regular dancers, 10% are on track to professional status, even at a young age. I also serve on the board of
Chamber Music Sedona, as well as the Arts Academy of Sedona.
Q: How long have you lived in Sedona? And what brought you here?
A: I’ve lived in Sedona for 13 years. Both my husband and I are originally from the East Coast, and we
spent time living abroad. Prior to Sedona, we lived in Malta, an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. I
was the VP of Merger & Acquisition for the University of Pennsylvania, and Mark was a lawyer in
nuclear law. We were cruising on a boat one day in Malta, and the New York Times – or Herald Tribune, in
Europe – featured an article about a place called Sedona. We had never heard of it! I told Mark, “let’s fly
there”. We arrived here in Sedona, stayed in a hotel room for three weeks, and immediately fell in love.
We ended up house hunting quite quickly, and have been here ever since. We don’t want to leave.
Q: Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met while you’ve been here?
A: Christel Veraart. Christel is an award-winning composer from Holland. At 24 years old, Christel
shared how she left Holland and moved to Argentina, on account of a broken heart. She studied music in
Paris, at a world-famous school. She also studies at the Royal Academy of Music in England. She’s lived
all over the world, and relocated to Sedona during the onset of the pandemic. Her music inspired a film
that I am a part of. All of what she composes is beautiful and spiritual.
Q: What person dead or alive would you like to have lunch with?
A: There are too many to choose from! Barack Obama, because I think he’s so incredibly brilliant, and
that’s my opinion. Lily Tomlin, because she’s great at everything she does, she’s fun, and I love her
humor. Hemingway, because I share traveling with him. Although I would never want to be his muse, he
wasn’t kind to women. And lastly, I’ll say John Huston.
Q: What’s one piece of advice that changed your life?
A: First piece of advice: You don’t have to rush everything. Take your time. Many things will come to
you, but you don’t have to do everything. Second: You don’t have to please everybody. And third, from
my mother: “If you’re not going to do a job well, don’t do it at all”.
Q: What film could you watch over and over again?
A: Out of Africa and My Fair Lady. I love old musicals. My daughter and I watch The Wizard of Oz every
December together, no matter where we are, even during the pandemic. I am also a documentary fan, so I
am watching a lot of those now.
Q: What one song never gets old?
A: Someone to Watch Over Me and On The Street Where You Live. The whole Ella Fitzgerald singing
Cole Porter, the Songbook, that whole album never gets old. And then all the arias from the Italian Arias,
which I listen to when I cook. I’m quite a fan of the kitchen.
Q: What do you like to cook?
A: After my husband had a heart attack, I had to learn to cook vegan for him. We make a vegan stew for
the ballerinas, cooking for 30 or more, and we love making a Mushroom Bourguignon. We’ve got a batch
cooking right now.
Q: What is something interesting that people don’t know about you?
A: I’ve got a great sense of humor and I’m not as stuffy as everyone thinks. Everyone thinks I’m a snob,
but I’m not. I’m a daydreamer. I’m really nice, and I’m fun.
Q: What three words describe home to you?
A: Ocean, music, and theater.
