Dawn Avery
Performance Details
Date: Friday, November 4, 2022 at 7:00pm
Location: Williamsburg Regional Library
Admission: Free, no tickets required
Rarely are performers as at home in Lincoln Center as they are in an Iroquois Longhouse. Dawn Avery's Kanienkéha (Mohawk) name is Ieriho:kwats and she wears the turtle clan. Composer,
cellist, vocalist, educator, GRAMMY and NAMA nominated performer Dawn Avery has worked with musical luminaries Luciano Pavarotti, Sting, John Cale, John Cage, R. Carlos Nakai and Joanne Shenandoah. She's toured around the world playing Delta Blues with the Soldier String Quartet, Persian Funk with Sussan Deyhim, and opera with the New York City Opera Company.
Committed to Indigenous language and cultural preservation as a musician, educator and participant of Longhouse ceremonies, she leads workshops and produces projects as part of the Native Composer’s Project that began as part of the Idawadadi directed by cultural specialist and Mohawk elder, Jan Kahehti:io Longboat. Dawn Avery tours with the North American Indian Cello Project, in which she premieres contemporary classical works by Native composers. She recently completed her doctoral degree in ethnomusicology on Native Classical composition and Indigenous methodologies.
Our Fire CD won several nominations in the Indian Summer Awards, New Mexico Music Awards, and Native American Music Awards its music can be heard on two recent award-winning films: The Smithsonian’s “Always Becoming” by Nora Naranjo-Morse and “Don’t Get Sick After June: Indian Health Care” by Rich/Heape Films. Her most recent project 50 Shades of Red features music, dance, film, and ritual. Nurturing future generations, Dawn Avery is a professor at Montgomery College.
About Larry Mitchell
Larry Mitchell is a Grammy award-winning producer, engineer and performer who has toured the world playing guitar with well-known artists including Tracy Chapman, Billy Squier, Ric Ocasek and Miguel Bosé. In his original compositions, Larry skillfully weaves guitar textures that showcase his virtuosity as a solo artist and ensemble player.
As an artist, he has released 9 solo records and won a San Diego Music Award for best pop jazz artist.
As a producer-engineer, Larry has won 26 New Mexico Music Awards in various categories from pop, adult contemporary, rap, rock, country and Native American. He won a Grammy Award for producing, engineering and performing on “Totemic Flute Chants” by artist Johnny Whitehorse, who is better known as Robert Mirabal of Taos Pueblo.
Larry is currently touring with his own trio as well as with Native artists Shelley Morningsong, Dawn Avery, Joy Harjo and Robert Mirabal.
He has many long-standing endorsements and relationships with companies such as D’Adarrio Strings, D’Marzio Pickups, Tech 21 NYC, Dava Picks, Majik Box, Fractal Audio, Composite Acoustics, Hotone, Samson, Keeley Electronics and now with Knaggs Guitars and Godin Acoustic Guitars.
