Ruth and Loran Olsen Festival of Native American Music

November 12-13, 2024

The Ruth and Loran Olsen Festival of Native American Music is an annual event during Native American Heritage Month to highlight the depth of Indigenous artistry through performing and educational events held on the WSU Pullman campus. The guest Artist-in-Residence for the 2024 inaugural year will be Navajo composer and pianist, Connor Chee. The festival is co-directed by Drs. Melissa Parkhurst and Jacqueline Wilson.

The Ruth and Loran Olsen Festival of Native American Music is made possible through to the generosity of the Ruth and Loran Olsen Fund.

 

Schedule of Events:
All events are free and open to the public

 

Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Presentation: Connor Chee in Conversation: 11:00am to Noon (Kimbrough Concert Hall)
Concert: Connor Chee Guest Artist Recital: 7:30pm (Bryan Hall Theatre)

• Featuring works by Connor Chee performed by the composer

Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Masterclass: Connor Chee, piano: 1:00pm to 2:00pm (Kimbrough Concert Hall)

• Featuring WSU piano students

Concert: Music by Native American Composers: 5:30pm (Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center)

• Featuring WSU School of Music faculty and students
• Doors open at 5:00pm
• Dinner provided

Artist-in-Residence

Navajo pianist and composer Connor Chee (b. 1987) is known for combining his classical piano training with his Native American heritage. Chee made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 12 after winning a gold medal in the World Piano Competition. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, Chee’s solo piano music is inspired by traditional Navajo chants and songs.

Chee has released 4 studio albums of original pieces and piano transcriptions of Navajo music. The Navajo Piano won Best Instrumental Recording at the 16th Annual Native American Music Awards, and his piece “Beginnings” won Best New Age Song.

Chee’s 2020 release, Scenes from Dinétah, features piano pieces written about elements of Navajo life and culture. It was accompanied by the release of several music videos filmed on the reservation, directed by Navajo filmmaker Michael Etcitty Jr. Chee’s most recent release, The Navajo Piano (Revisited), features new recordings of his original 15 compositions from 2014, as well as recordings of the traditional songs they were based on. Also included are three new transcriptions for harp featuring Angelica Hairston and Johanna Wienholts.