Indigenous Peoples Concert

This celebration of Indigenous People’s month marks the third year for

the city of Rochester to officially celebrate Indigenous People’s Day. The Indigenous

People’s Concert will be performed on Sunday, Nov 2 nd , 3:00 pm at the Seneca Art and Culture Center, Ganondagan SACC Auditorium, Victor, NY. It is free with donations gratefully accepted.

Co-directed and co-produced, this Concert will feature Native American classical

compositions led by Kae Wilbert (Cherokee) and the Eyahpahah Wind Quintet followed by Daystar/Rosalie Jones (Pembina Chippewa-Cree) presenting two films of Indigenous Contemporary Dance. Funding provided by the Committee on Native American Ministries of the United Methodist of Upper New York.

The Eyahpahah Wind Quintet has fostered a respect and acknowledgement of the distinctive creative palette of contemporary Native American composers, being heard most recently in the Eyahpahah presentations at SUNY Brockport and the First Presbyterian Church of Byron, NY.

Laurence Tallman (Onondaga descendent) is the featured composer for 2025. It is an honor to present the classical compositions of this artist/teacher of the Haudenosaunee people. Mr. Tallman earned his Master of Music Education at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam where he was an instructor of Music Education and Native American Music 1999-2000. Over the years, he has been commissioned to create and perform his compositions by the Genessee Symphony Orchestra, the Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble and the Genesee Concert Band. In addition, he has taught in several school districts throughout the state, most recently the Byron-Bergen School District. Laurence is now retired, devoting his time to composition. The Eyahpahah Wind Quintet will be premiering his new work, “Native Sojourn”, commissioned for this Concert by Kae Wilbert.

The Eyahpahah Wind Quintet will also reprise notable compositions by Louis Ballard

(Quapaw, Cherokee) and Dawn Avery (Mohawk). Dr. Louis Ballard is now known as the “father of Native American music” and he will be honored with a selection from his suite “Ritmo Indio”. Dawn Avery is a Grammy-nominated cellist/vocalist who composes within a spiritual, pop and classical genre and has worked with notables like Pavarotti, Sting, Phillip Glass and R. Carlos Nakai. The Eyahpahah Wind Quintet will perform her composition “Medicine Shields”.

Daystar/Rosalie Jones is well-known to the Rochester region and across North America. She established her Daystar Dance Company in 1980 and has presented internationally for over forty years. She is acknowledged as a pioneer in the performing arts genre now called Indigenous Contemporary Dance, which Daystar/Rosalie Jones describes as a way to “make Spirit visible”. Two films with commentary will be featured: “Spirit Woman”, a solo storytelling dance performed at the Stand Rock Indian Ceremonial in 1980 and “Dances for Joanne”, a suite of dances (Mother Earth Speaks, Deer, Daughter of Water, Her Dance), choreographed to the music of Joanne Shenandoah, well-known Oneida singer-songwriter.

Musicians for this Concert are: Kae Wilbert (bassoon), Susan Walders (flute), John

Bailey (French Horn), Scott Horsington (clarinet) and Darren Pulley (oboe).

Note: Eyahpahah is a Quapaw word meaning “town crier”.