Meet and greet the first Native American to win the Pulitzer Prize for music

Raven Chacon head shot

Raven Chacon, the first Native American composer to win the Pulitzer Prize, is coming to NAU to share his experimental sounds.  

Chacon, who is Diné, is part of the segment of contemporary composers who work with open spaces, both in the sounds of their music and the spaces where they perform. By using traditional instruments, along with nontraditional objects, he can create melodies that represent the history of the Southwest using experimental sounds. 

He’s joining with other Native artists to showcase his unique sounds in a special concert at NAU. 

The three-part event at the Kitt School of Music begins with an informal lecture at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30 at Kitt Recital Hall.  

A meet and greet will take place at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan 31, at the Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures gathering room, followed by the Horizons Concert at Ardrey Memorial Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., which will feature music from Chacon as well as Native artists Michael Begay and Sage Bond, who is an NAU alumna. 

Bruce Reiprich, Michael and Karen Kitt endowed professor of composition, said having someone as well renowned as Chacon at NAU will be very special because of his connection to the Native American musical community. 

“One of the reasons we are so interested in bringing Raven Chacon to campus, and the other Diné composers Sage Bond and Michael Begay, is that we want to provide successful models for the Diné community and the Indigenous community in general,” Reiprich said. “These are just wonderful people that students can look up to and rub shoulders with and engage in interesting conversations.” 

In addition to his music, Chacon brings voice to Diné and other Native American composers and highlights their culture and community. He’s also mentored more than 300 students. 

“His impact as a teacher and his musical style is unique and well received,” Reiprich said. “That impact brings people together, and that is what all art is all about.” 

Chacon was born in Fort Defiance within the Navajo Nation. He is not only a musician, but a mentor and a talented artist whose visual and sonic artwork has been exhibited throughout the United States and around the world. 

Chacon, Begay and Bond will be part of the Ensemble Flageolet rehearsals for the Horizons Concert to show the performers the best way to place the instruments in that specific space to perform their music. 

NAU’s professional contemporary music Ensemble Flageolet is composed of faculty, guest performers from other parts of the country and advanced students. 

“It is a way of bringing our students into the world of contemporary music and meeting our guest composers and working with them directly,” Reiprich said. “They will come to rehearsals and make suggestions as to how best we can perform and interpret their music. It will be a rewarding experience that extends their education far beyond what happens in the classroom.” 

All three events are free and open to the public. For more information about each of them, visit the Kitt School of Music’s website.  

Northern Arizona University LogoMariana Laas | NAU Communications
Mariana.Laas@nau.edu

NAU Communications