Dr. Kirsten Kunkle performs musical piece in Cleveland, OH – MVSKOKE Media

CLEVELAND – Soprano vocalist Dr. Kirsten Kunkle (Mvskoke) and composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate (Chickasaw) are working together once again on a project and performance known as Ko’koomfena, Our Grandmother, held at the Suzanne and Paul Westlake Performing Arts Center in Cleveland from Oct. 16-19. 

Kunkle and Tate recently sat down with Live Wire, to discuss the performance which was sponsored by CityMusic Cleveland. 

Ko’koomfena is sung in the Shawnee language- a first for Kunkle.

Kunkle, who has sung in Chickasaw and once performed in 6 different languages for the American Indian Symphony (Apache, Cheyenne, Chickasaw, Modoc, Potawatomi, Wichita), pointed out how important this performance is to her and how groundbreaking it is. 

“This may be the first time that anyone’s sung classically in Shawnee,” Kunkle said. “I don’t say that lightly. I think that the things that we’re doing, especially the work I’m doing with Jerod, is exceptionally groundbreaking.”

Tate praised Kunkle for the work she has done, especially given how there is no set translation for Indigenous languages via the International Phonetic Alphabet.

“It’s really cool, because she’s kind of leading the way on all of this, and so now, hopefully, people will be calling her for her insights about how she’s doing languages and everything,” Tate said. 

When asked about how the performances went in Cleveland, Kunkle stated that all four performances were very well received by audiences, and that she was very grateful for the opportunity.

“The joy of bringing the Shawnee language to audiences in the original homeland of the Shawnee tribe, singing this incredible score by the leading Native symphonic composer Jerod Tate, and having my debut with the amazing CityMusic Cleveland, in my home state, was such a pleasure and true highlight,” Kunkle said.

The learning process for Kunkle was, as always, a collaboration with Indigenous knowledge bearers. “Joel Barnes of the Shawnee Nation was able to give me a very detailed audio file to help me in navigating the language, for which I am very grateful.” 

When asked why they create performances like this, Kunkle stated that this has been another chance for her to not only expand her knowledge on Indigenous languages, but also to keep showing off the languages and cultures of various tribes to a wider audience. For Kunkle and Tate, performances like this also give Tribes more attention and work to keep their stories alive.

“Jerod and I both are extremely driven to retain and advance Native culture, and bridging the gap between language and classical music is one of the most important parts of our legacy as musicians,” Kunkle said. 

“Hopefully, the story of Ko’koom’feena will extend far beyond these performances, and Jerod’s music will continue to reach new audiences while expanding upon the cultural heritage of the Shawnee people. I am honored to be a part of this important musical and cultural storytelling.”

For more information on Tate and Kunkle’s performance, visit https://www.clevelandart.org/events/citymusic-cleveland-chamber-orchestra