In 2021, Tianhui Ng and the Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra were the proud recipients of a Mellon Foundation Native American Indigenous Studies grant to develop the world’s first opera to be fully sung in a Native American language, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate’s Loksi’ Shaali’ (Shell Shaker).

The grant allowed us to conduct a libretto workshop, a piano-vocal workshop, and an orchestra workshop that would allow the composer the opportunity to workshop a major musical work of more than 2 hours long. Students at Mount Holyoke College benefited also from a semester-long residency with Tate, which allowed critical conversations surrounding the performance practice of Native American work, and in particular, the upcoming performance of the opera.

The course manifested to the public as the Mellon NAIS Series, our campus welcomed artists and thought leaders such as Jean-Luc Pierite, president of the North American Indian Center of Boston, Margaret Wheeler, revered textile designer, Joshua Nelson, Executive Director of the Native Crossroads Film Festival, Tracy Kelley, Director of the Wopanaak Language Reclamation Project, and futurists, like former NASA astronaut, John Herrington, Shoshana Wasserman, Deputy Director of the First Americans Museum and contemporary artist, Brent Greenwood and many other distinguished guests.

This week of Feb 25th - 28th, 2025 marks almost four years since work began on the project, and the proud culmination of a long journey of discovery for us all. Please join us as we welcome some of the nation’s most noted Native artists as they share their gifts with us in the East Coast premiere of the opera.

Special thanks to Kirsten C. Kunkle, Kate Morton and Mark Billy for having joined us for the entire development journey from the beginning till now.