Presented by
Making of Mannahatta
WATCH
Program Notes
-
Song by Chief Urie Ridgeway
Performed by Opalanietet Pierce of the Eagle Project
Chief Urie Ridgeway is a member and former Councilman of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape tribe, based in what is now called southern New Jersey. This text will be sung in the original Lenape, but translation is provided.
-
By Andrew Balfour
Vision Chant incorporates the Ojibway word, “babamadizwin”, which means “journey”. Based on chant style, this work is striking for both its stillness and its intensity. The journey that is evoked begins and ends with a soprano melody, at first divided and then, symbolically perhaps, unified. What takes place in between these musical bookends is the vision itself. This is an excerpt from a larger work, Bawajigaywin, commissioned by the Kingston (ON) Chamber Choir.
-
Raven Chacon
Voiceless Mass, 2021
For pipe organ and large ensemble
Commissioned by Present MusicVoiceless Mass is a large ensemble work to be performed in any gathering space of worship with high ceilings and pipe organ. Though ‘mass’ is referenced in the title, the piece contains no audible singing voices, instead using the openness of the large space to intone the constricted intervals of the wind and string instruments. In exploiting the architecture of the cathedral, Voiceless Mass considers the futility of giving voice to the voiceless, when providing space is never an option. In 2022, Voiceless Mass was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music, making Raven Chacon the first Indigenous American composer ever to receive the honor.
-
By Cris Derksen
Excerpts from Mihkokwaniy, Joshua Whitehead
my kokum has many names
the indian woman
the whitehead lady
a saskatoon female
but my favourite is:
the beauty queen;
they never meant to call her beautiful
what they meant by beauty was:
Cheapdirtybrownprostitutedrugaddict-
Alcoholicfirewaterslut
when they write:
"an indian about 35 years old
naked from the waist down
died from asphyxiation
at the queen's hotel
effects of alcohol
&sedatives"that's my grandmother:
she is a mino iskwēw
the beauty queen
a woman with a name:
rose whitehead
&shediedbecauseofit
i read somewhere that saskatchewan
is an economic machine
for producing rape—
seed&honey
& in tisdale you can buy a mug that says:
the land of rape and honey
that's where my kokum is buriedmy kokum has made many headlines:
"woman found strangled"
being the most consistent
a fifty word article that calls for sympathy
not for the "strangulation death
of the whitehead woman"
but for the man:
steven kozaruk of esterhazy
who "was suffering from the effects
of alcohol and sleeping pills"
even with a "seven-man jury"
& "thirteen witnesses," lives—
his whiteness is his weakness
(even if its biceps can crack a brown neck like a wishbone)
and that weakness is his innocence;
the life of my kokum is worth:
six years & fifty words;
all these things overlap
interweave, interlay, interplay, interact -
Cris Derksen’s Mass for Nîpîy was premiered in 2023 by the Amadeus Choir. The piece was a site-specific work designed around various areas in the Toronto Royal Botanical Gardens, and the piece’s larger focus is on aspects of Indigenous water sovereignty.
Text by Cris Derksen:
Rainbows sparkling,
Twinkling, cleansing,
Water remembers. -
Text excerpted from “I am the Gardener” by Charli Fool Bear-Vetter, “Marshlands” and “Prodigal” by E. Pauline Johnson, “Refugee Blues” by W.H. Auden, and “Mannahatta” by Walt Whitman
Holy Ground is a piece written for the land on 5th avenue between 10th and 11th streets on Mannahatta in Sapokanikan; right near Kintecoying in Lenapehoking; Nimaamaaaki just like everywhere else. It is also written to be sung with that land, in the acoustic conditions of the building currently standing there- The Church of the Ascension.
This piece, written for 5 voices and percussion, is an effort to listen to this little plot of land- what she has to say to those who inhabit it, and what we have to say to her.
-
“We Are On Native Land” (WAONL) is a commissioned work for a consortium of eight Wisconsin University choruses.
“Establishing good relations with local Indigenous people is the goal of this new work, and each chorus must reach out to the local Indigenous People to complete the lyrics. The lyrics will vary according to the people and the place of each performance. The intent of WAONL is to foster good relations with the Native Nations and acknowledge the genocides—and Indigenous survival—in song and choral performance. The music is written with flexibility, so each lyric can be co-created with Indigenous people, and performed in concert afterward. It is important to note that WAONL is not a substitute for Indigenous involvement. Too many times, acknowledgements have been created without Native consultation, leading to weak proclamations that have avoided the subject of genocide, statements later printed in programs, mounted on walls, or voiced in shallow speeches. It is highly encouraged that each ensemble and venue will invite your own local Indigenous communities to perform their own music with your choruses on stage. Call them, visit, and invite them.” — BMD
In light of these directions from composer Brent Michael Davids, we have worked with members of the Mohican Writer’s Circle to complete the lyrics for this piece. Contributions were made by members Bonney Hartley, Jon & Jo Ann Schedler, Cathy Caldwell, Judith Hartley, and Misty Cook.
Watch each piece individually or in order
Full Concert
"I Remember It, My Land" by Chief Urie Ridgeway
"Vision Chant" by Andrew Balfour
"Voiceless Mass" by Raven Chacon
"Triumph of the Euro-Christ" by Cris Derksen, text by Joshua Whitehead
"Prayer for Mist" by Cris Derksen
"Holy Ground" a world premiere by Danielle Jagelski
"We Are On Native Land" by Brent Michael Davids, with text from the Mohican Writers Circle
THE PROJECT
-
Thank you for visiting this website commemorating the Voices of Mannahatta performance that took place in New York City on April 8, 2025.
The music you hear on this site will focus on understanding, healing, and community. The pieces that make up the Voices of Mannahatta reflect on our world as it is now, raising questions that can only be answered together. They are an invitation to engage with complexity. It is a call to cross the river by feeling the stones beneath our feet.
Many of the pieces performed on that night were site-specific—written to be played in that space, on that land, in an organ-bearing church, or specifically in the Church of the Ascension. This was an intentional choice, emphasizing the importance of place. The Church of the Ascension was constructed to foster a relationship with the divine, a space for communion, but what was cast aside in its acquisition, excavation, and construction?
More importantly, this concert was created to underscore the significance of place—meaning this land, our mother- Aki, Nimaamaa-aki. Mother Earth, who connects all of us and can lead us to a better future. How can we rekindle our relationship with our Mother, and in doing so, reawaken our connections to one another? How can we remember what was forgotten? How do we start to repair what has been broken?
Perhaps we’ve already taken the first step—by being here, together.
-
The settlement of Manhattan Island embodies a complicated legacy marked by the colonization, clash of cultures, displacement of Indigenous and Black communities, and the continuation of this land as a hub for commerce, art, and connection.
On April 8, 2025, Voices of Ascension presented Voices of Mannahatta at The Church of the Ascension, exploring the history of the land on which our concert hall stands, on the unceded lands of the Munsee Lenape, Mannahatta Island.
In collaboration with The Eagle Project—NYC's only Lenape-led performing arts organization—this concert featured the multimedia world premiere by composer Danielle Olana Jagelski (Oneida/Ojibwe). Written for five Indigenous classical singers from the Mvskogee, Acoma Pueblo, Cherokee, Anishinaabe, and Taíno Nations, the composition Holy Ground is accompanied by a five-octave marimba and vibraphone, with video imagery created by visual artist Sage Ahebah Addington (Navajo).
The program also included performances of Raven Chacon's 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning composition Voiceless Mass featuring The International Contemporary Ensemble and the Church’s Manton Memorial Organ, Andrew Balfour's Vision Chant, and Cris Derksen’s Triumph of the Euro-Christ (a United States premiere).
The videos on this site are from this performance
Artist Bios
Composers
-
Danielle Jagelski is a conductor, composer, and creative producer. She is the Artistic Director and Co-founder of Renegade Opera, Producer for First Nations Performing Arts, and faculty at Manhattan School of Music-Precollege Division.
Her work has been performed at distinguished music spaces including Performance Space New York, Roulette Intermedium,, and The Green Room 42. Recent commissions and collaborations have been with Boston Opera Collaborative, Voices of Ascension|Voices of the New, New Native Theatre, Timothy Long and the North American Indigenous Songbook, MUSE Cincinnati Women's Choir, Hear Us Hear Them, and a consortium commission by member choruses of the Sister Singers Network.
As a conductor, Danielle is sought out for her execution of contemporary works. Recent conducting engagements include, the Next Gen3 competition with Beth Morrison Projects, Scalia/Ginsberg at Opera Ithaca, Missing by Brian Current at Anchorage Opera, the US premiere of Never to Return by Karen Sunabacka, Dark Sisters by Nico Muhly at Temple University, the world premiere of Adam’s Run by Ruby Fulton at Renegade Opera, and guest conductor for the Manhattan School of Music Symphony and National Music Global Culture Society at Lincoln Center.
An enrolled citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe, Danielle often collaborates and performs with other Indigenous and Native American artists. As producer for First Nations Performing Arts, she is passionate about building kinship through interdisciplinary projects.
She is currently an Opera America IDEA grant recipient with librettist/playwright Rhiana Yazzie, for their new opera “Little Ones.” She has received grants from The Plimpton Foundation, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation, and Opera America, as well as earning awards from the National Opera Association and residences at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
-
Raven Chacon is a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, performer, and installation artist from Fort Defiance, Navajo Nation. As a solo artist, collaborator, and a member of Postcommodity (from 2009 to 2018), Chacon has exhibited, performed, or had works performed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; The Renaissance Society, Chicago; San Francisco Electronic Music Festival; REDCAT, Los Angeles; Vancouver Art Gallery; Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin; Borealis Festival, Seattle; SITE Santa Fe; Chaco Canyon, New Mexico; Ende Tymes Festival, New York; The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.; Whitney Biennial, New York; documenta 14, Athens and Kassel; Carnegie International, and Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh. Since 2004, he has mentored more than three hundred Native high school composers in writing new string quartets for the Native American Composer Apprentice Project (NACAP). Chacon is the recipient of a 2023 MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, a United States Artists fellowship in Music, a Creative Capital award, The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation artist fellowship, the American Academy’s Berlin Prize for Music Composition, the Bemis Center’s Ree Kaneko Award, and the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage’s Fellowship-in-Residence.
-
Brent Michael Davids (Mohican/Munsee-Lenape) is a professional composer, and a music warrior for native equity and parity, especially in concert music where there is little indigenous influence. Davids places Native voices front and center. He originated and co-founded the award-winning Native American Composer Apprentice Project (NACAP), championing indigenous youth to compose their own written music. He uses indigenous instruments, including handmade quartz flutes, and pens performable notations that are themselves visual works of art. Davids is co-director of the Lenape Center in Manhattan, and is enrolled in the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. His composer career spans nearly five decades, with countless awards and commissions from America’s most celebrated organizations and ensembles.
International ensembles have premiered his works globally in Austria, Bermuda, Canada, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and throughout the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Disney Concert Hall, Tanglewood Music Center’s Koussevitzky Shed and Ozawa Hall, Rothko Chapel, The Joyce Theater, Lincoln Center, Lincoln Center Out-Of-Doors, and The Kennedy Center. In 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts named Davids among the nation’s most celebrated choral composers in its project “American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius.” And In 2015, the prestigious Indian Summer Music Festival awarded Davids its “Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Soloists and Peformers
-
Ryan Victor Pierce or "Opalanietet" is a member of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape tribal nation of New Jersey. Upon graduating from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Opalanietet has performed in workshops and productions at such renowned New York theatrical institutions as New Dramatists, LaMaMa E.T.C. and New York City Opera at Lincoln Center. In November of 2020, Opalanietet made history by giving the first-ever Lenape Land Acknowledgement at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC.
Opalanietet is currently studying for his doctorate in Theatre & Performance Studies at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, and has been a teacher of Contemporary Indigenous Theatre & Performance at The New School in New York City and SUNY Purchase.
-
Sage Ahebah Addington is a Diné (Navajo) performance artist and sculptor from Breadsprings and Gallup, New Mexico. Sage’s work primarily focuses on material, cultural dissonance, and redirecting negative energies. Addington holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Cooper Union.
Past works range from piles of earth, to temporary murals from rearranged broken glass, nests made from corn husks, and a tree made from deer sinew knots.
Sage most recently designed projections for “Please Don’t Touch the Indians,” a limited production produced by Eagle Project Arts in January 2025. Addington sells their work at Relative Arts NYC.
-
Lauded as the leading Native American soprano in today’s classical music world, Dr. Kirsten C. Kunkle is a voting citizen of the Mvskoke (Muscogee) Nation. She has been hailed as an outstanding singing actress with a voice that has been described as beautiful, ethereal, powerful, fiery, and bewitching. Recently, she made her Kennedy Center debut with PostClassical Ensemble singing Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate’s Hymn, and Mvskoke Lullaby with her daughter. She also recently created the role of Ipp’osi’ in the first Native American tribal language (Chickasaw) opera in the world premiere of Tate’s Loksi’ Shaali’.
Other career highlights include performing at Carnegie Hall, recording the role of Arabella in the NAXOS world premiere recording of Johann Strauss II’s operetta Blindekuh, writing for OPERA AMERICA magazine, and the world premiere of Girondines, which debuted her first opera libretto, with composer Sarah Van Sciver for Wilmington Concert Opera, and subsequently the first staged production with Mission Opera in Los Angeles.
She is an active composer, with commissions featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and BBC Radio. Her most recent compositions are part of the upcoming album My Black Swan Songs from mezzo-soprano Molly Noori.
Kirsten is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Wilmington Concert Opera, a women and minority led opera company in Wilmington, Delaware. She is a proud graduate of Bowling Green State University and University of Michigan. She is delighted to be making her Voices of Ascension debut. Please visit www.kirstenckunkle.com for more information.
-
Bo Shimmin (Pueblo of Acoma) is a dynamic and versatile tenor whose captivating performances have earned him recognition on both national and international stages. Bo brings a unique blend of passion and technical mastery to his craft, consistently delivering compelling interpretations of a diverse repertoire. Trained at prestigious institutions like the University of Michigan, Luigi Cherubini Conservatory, DePauw University and Arizona State University, his rich vocal timbre and emotive delivery have made him a sought-after performer in opera, concert, and recital settings. Beyond his vocal prowess, Bo is dedicated to fostering the next generation of artists through educational outreach and mentorship, reflecting his commitment to the arts community.
Bo is a two-time Fulbright Scholar to Italy where he taught English and studied Italian vocal chamber music of the early 20th century. His particular interests lie in art song and contemporary repertoire. Bo gave his professional recital debut in 2022 at the prestigious Lyceum Club in Florence, Italy overlooking the Arno River and presented an all African-American art song program. Bo recently completed his first artist residency in his hometown of Tucson, Arizona at the CATALYST Creative Collective. During his residency, he led a masterclass, a songwriting seminar and gave a final concert with dear collaborators from all over Tucson. Bo is fresh off touring with Opera Montana’s Wheels of Harmony in March. He is honored to be standing amongst such beautiful Native talent and wants to thank Danielle and Voices of Ascension for this opportunity.
-
Dylan Aguayo, a classical singer and clarinetist, is known for his passionate performances across genres. As a tenor, his recent credits include the title role in Britten’s Albert Herring, soloist for Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin, chorus for Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, soloist with Voices of the New, Cantori, and various ensembles and choirs in the tri-state area. As a clarinetist, Dylan has performed as principal and soloist with City Lyric Opera, PROTESTRA, Renegade Opera, and the Vianden Chamber Music Festival. His artistic vision is rooted in collaboration, creating intimate and vulnerable performances. With deep dedication to his multi-disciplinary career, Dylan continues to build a genre-bending catalogue with artists across disciplines.
-
Korean-American soprano Samantha Martin is a lover of storytelling in music. An avid supporter of new works, Samantha has premiered and performed pieces by numerous contemporary composers. Recently she’s performed with the Trinity Choir of Wall Street in a production of Angel Island by Huang Ruo. She was named the winner of Bard Conservatory’s 2020 Concerto Competition and appeared with The Orchestra Now in September 2022 performing George Walker’s Lilacs.
-
Damian has performed at venues such as Lincoln Center, Roulette, National Sawdust, and multiple Off-Broadway theaters. His compositions have been showcased in unique spaces like the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Public Library, and the Center at West Park. He has an artist diploma in composition (jointly conferred by Harvard University and the OAcademy Music Conservatory), is a 2024-2027 Lucas Arts Music & Composition Fellow, was a 2024 Composing Fellow in the Gabriela Ortiz Composition Studio, and is currently creating his first experimental opera.
As a Barrymore and Planet Connections Theatre Award-winning actor, Damian played a featured role in the Drama Desk Award-nominated production of The Threepenny Opera and starred in the ACLU of Massachusetts co-production of Ragtime. On screen, he appeared in Co-operation and the film Emily & Tim, featuring Andre Braugher and Olympia Dukakis.
Additionally, Damian’s performed as a vocal soloist with various ensembles, including the International Contemporary Ensemble, Ensemble Pi, the National Philharmonic, and The Dream Unfinished Orchestra. He’s been a guest artist at Peabody Institute, the New England Conservatory, and Bennington College. He has also been an artist-in-residence at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, the Walden School, and Bread and Puppet Theater.
-
Colleen Bernstein is an award-winning percussionist and educator recognized for her precise execution of contemporary music and narrative works. Based in New York City, she is a member of the Radio City Music Hall orchestra, recently held the percussion chair for the Broadway revival of Spamalot, performed as principal percussionist/timpanist for the North American tour of Avatar: the Last Airbender In Concert, and has played on multiple other Broadway productions. Ms. Bernstein has collaborated with notable artists including Béla Fleck, Tania León, Judy Collins, Concertgebouw Orchestra Camerata, American Symphony Orchestra, International Contemporary Ensemble, Silkroad Ensemble, Talea Ensemble, Balla Kouyaté, and Sandbox Percussion. As a soloist, Bernstein has performed a concerto with Albany Symphony, presented sets at MATA Festival, New Music Gathering, Brooklyn Bound, World Vibes Congress, and Oh My Ears Festival, and won prizes internationally including at the Universal Marimba Competition. She is a founding member of American Wild Ensemble and teaching artist with Creative Leaps International. Bernstein is also a professor at William Paterson University, where she teaches applied percussion and courses in the music education program, and conducts the percussion ensemble. She received degrees at the Eastman School of Music and University of Michigan, and recently completed an MBA in Arts Innovation from the Global Leaders Institute. Ms. Bernstein is an artist endorser for Black Swamp Percussion and Malletech.
Partners
-
Now in its third decade, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) is a multidisciplinary collective of musicians, digital media artists, producers, and educators committed to building and innovating collaborative environments in order to inspire audiences to reimagine how they experience contemporary music and sound. The Ensemble creates a mosaic musical ecosystem as “America’s foremost new-music group” (The New Yorker), honoring the diversity of human experience and expression by commissioning, developing, recording, and performing the works of living artists.
-
“The Mohican Writers Circle has been meeting since early 2012. We are based in the Stockbridge-Munsee Community in Bowler, WI, with several contributing writers who live further away. We come from a long line of great storytellers and orators, yet our stories have been too often erased or told by others. Out of this experience and shared commitment to telling our own stories, several of the authors started gathering and Mohican Writers Circle was born.”
-
In 2012, Ryan Victor Pierce or "Opalanietet" founded Eagle Project, a theater company dedicated to exploring the American identity through the performing arts and our Native American heritage. Through his leadership, Eagle Project has collaborated with and performed at Theatre Row, the Public Theater, and Ashtar Theater in Palestine. In April of 2020, Eagle Project collaborated with the American Indian Community House of New York City and First Nations Theatre Guild to create Native Theatre Thursdays, a virtual reading series of new Native work.
-
Prominent Winnipeg composer Andrew Balfour, of Cree descent, has written a body of choral, instrumental and orchestral works, including Take the Indian, Empire Étrange: The Death of Louis Riel, Migiis: A W h i t e s h e l l S o u n d s c a p e , Bawajigaywin, Gregorio’s Nightmare, Wa Wa Tey Wak (Northern Lights), Fantasia on a Poem by Rumi, Missa Brevis and Medieval Inuit. He has been commissioned by the Winnipeg, Regina and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, Ensemble Caprice, the Winnipeg Singers, the Kingston Chamber Choir and Camerata Nova, among others. His works have been performed and broadcasted locally, nationally, and internationally. Andrew is the Artistic Director of Winnipeg’s Camerata Nova known for their inter-genre and interdisciplinary collaborations. He is passionate about music education and outreach, particularly in schools located in low-income areas of Winnipeg and in northern communities.
-
Juno nominated Cris Derksen is an Internationally respected Indigenous cellist and composer. Originally from Treaty 8 in Northern Alberta, she comes from NorthTall Cree Reserve on her father’s side and Mennonite homesteaders on her mother’s. Derksen’s composition strength lies in her diversity for all artistic fields including: Dance, Theatre, Film, Television, Animation, Fashion, Podcasts, Symphonic, Chamber, Choral, and Installations. She performs as soloist-composer for symphonies and chamber orchestra’s across Canada and has been commissioned by the Calgary Philharmonic, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony and Orchestre Metropolitan- Yannick Nézet-
Séguin. Derksen was the composer for the Canadian Pavilion for the World Expo in Dubai in 2022, as well as Japan 2025. Her work on the podcast Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's by Connie Walker and Gimlet media won both a Pulitzer and Peabody. Recent achievements include Carnegie Hall debut with a new symphonic piece with Orchestre Métropolitain conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Derksen has recently begun scoring a documentary for National Geographic, and is developing a ballet in collaboration with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
Symphony Orchestra of new ballet Tel Wild Man of the woods and scoring a National Geographic Documentary. Derksen is always up for the challenge of bringing an Indigenous perspective to all aspects of sonic storytelling.
-
Alice Teyssier, Flute
Yu-Ting Cheng, Clarinet
Kristina Teuschler, Bass Clarinet
Andrew Henderson, Pedal organ
Yezu Woo, Violin
Pala Garcia, Violin
Kal Sugatski, Viola
John Popham, Cello
Kebra-Seyoun Charles, Contrabass
Colleen Bernstein, Percussion
Clara Warnaar, Percussion
-
Aine Hakamatsuka, soprano
MaKayla McDonald, soprano
Shabnam Abedi, soprano
Asha Lindsey, soprano
Samantha Martin, soprano
Shara Lunon, alto
Hai-Ting Chinn, alto
Guadalupe Peraza, alto
Michele Trinidad, alto
Marquis Fuse, tenor
Opalanietet Ryan Pierce, tenor
Bo Shimmin, tenor
Dylan Aguayo, tenor
Brandon Hornsby-Selvin, tenor
Daniel Chiu, baritone
Damian Norfleet, baritone
Paul Chwe MinChul An, bass
Paul Greene-Dennis, bass