Raven Chacon's Voiceless Mass received its world premiere Nov. 21, 2021 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee, Wis. Far from any kind of traditional Catholic mass, the piece was written by Chacon, a Diné composer, performer and installation artist from the Navajo Nation, for chamber orchestra and pipe organ — specifically for the pipe organ at St. John the Evangelist.
This week, Chacon became the first indigenous American composer to win the Pulitzer prize for music. In its note on the award, the Pulitzer jury called Voiceless Mass a "mesmerizing, original work ... that evokes the weight of history in a church setting, a concentrated and powerful music expression with a haunting, visceral impact."
