# Raven Chacon

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Navajo composer and artist from New Mexico (born 1977)

Raven Chacon Chacon speaking at Columbia University in 2022 Born 1977 (age 48–49) Fort Defiance, Arizona, United States Citizenship Navajo Nation and U.S. Education California Institute of the Arts University of New Mexico Known for sound art, non-vocal instrumentalist, installation art, composer, musician, visual artist Style noise music, experimental sound, composer, musician, visual artist Awards MacArthur Fellowship 2023 Pulitzer Prize 2022 Website spiderwebsinthesky.com

**Raven Chacon** (born 1977) is a [Diné](/source/Din%C3%A9) [composer](/source/Composer), musician, and artist. Born in [Fort Defiance, Arizona](/source/Fort_Defiance%2C_Arizona) within the [Navajo Nation](/source/Navajo_Nation), Chacon became the first [Native American](/source/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States) to win a [Pulitzer Prize for Music](/source/Pulitzer_Prize_for_Music), for his *[Voiceless Mass](/source/Voiceless_Mass)* in 2022.

He has also been a solo performer of [noise music](/source/Noise_music) and worked with groups such as [Postcommodity](/source/Postcommodity).[1]

## Life and career

Still Life #3, detail of sound installation at the [National Museum of the American Indian](/source/National_Museum_of_the_American_Indian)

Raven Chacon was born in 1977 in [Fort Defiance, Arizona](/source/Fort_Defiance%2C_Arizona), within the [Navajo Nation](/source/Navajo_Nation).[2] He attended the [University of New Mexico](/source/University_of_New_Mexico), where he obtained his BA in Fine Arts in 2001, then received an MFA in music composition from the [California Institute of the Arts](/source/California_Institute_of_the_Arts) in 2004.[3][4] He was a student of [James Tenney](/source/James_Tenney), [Morton Subotnick](/source/Morton_Subotnick), [Michael Pisaro](/source/Michael_Pisaro), [Wadada Leo Smith](/source/Wadada_Leo_Smith) and Christopher Shultis.

Chacon's visual and sonic artwork has been exhibited widely in the U.S. and abroad.[5] His room-sized sound and text installation, *Still Life, #3* (2015), was exhibited in the *Transformer: Native Art in Light and Sound* exhibition at the [National Museum of the American Indian](/source/National_Museum_of_the_American_Indian), New York.[6][7] His collective and solo work has been presented at [Sydney Biennale](/source/Sydney_Biennale),[8] [Kennedy Center](/source/Kennedy_Center), the [Whitney Biennial](/source/Whitney_Biennial),[9] [documenta 14](/source/Documenta_14),[10] [Adelaide International](/source/Adelaide_International_(art_exhibition)), [Vancouver Art Gallery](/source/Vancouver_Art_Gallery), [ASU Art Museum](/source/ASU_Art_Museum), [Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal](/source/Mus%C3%A9e_d'art_contemporain_de_Montr%C3%A9al), the San Francisco Electronic Music Festival,[11] the [Heard Museum](/source/Heard_Museum),[12] [Chaco Canyon](/source/Chaco_Canyon), and [Performance Today](/source/Performance_Today).[13]

Chacon also performs in the groups KILT with Bob Bellerue, Mesa Ritual with William Fowler Collins, Endlings with John Dieterich, and collaborations with [Laura Ortman](/source/Laura_Ortman) and [Igor Cavalera](/source/Igor_Cavalera). In 2016, he was commissioned by [Kronos Quartet](/source/Kronos_Quartet) to compose a work for their *Fifty For The Future* project.[14]

Chacon serves as Composer-in-Residence with the [Native American Composers Apprenticeship Project](/source/Native_American_Composers_Apprenticeship_Project).[15] In 2012, he was awarded a [Creative Capital](/source/Creative_Capital)[16] Visual Arts grant. In 2014, he was honored with a [Native Arts and Cultures Foundation](/source/Native_Arts_and_Cultures_Foundation) National Artist Fellowship in Music.[17] In 2018, Chacon was awarded the [Berlin Prize](/source/Berlin_Prize) by the [American Academy in Berlin](/source/American_Academy_in_Berlin).[18]

In 2022, Chacon became the first Native American to win the [Pulitzer Prize for Music](/source/Pulitzer_Prize_for_Music), which he received for his composition *[Voiceless Mass](/source/Voiceless_Mass)*.[19]

## Music and visual art

One of Chacon's well-known music piece, [Voiceless Mass](/source/Voiceless_Mass),[19] won a Pulitzer Prize for Music. Being the first Native American to win a Pulitzer Prize, this piece was commissioned by WI Conference of the United Church of Christ, Plymouth Church UCC and *[Present Music](/source/Present_Music)*.[20] At first, he turned down the offer but soon reconsidered after realizing the space the music would be performed at.[\[1\]](https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA754490240&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=15538095&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=dahl83393&aty=shibboleth) The themes that surround the [Voiceless Mass](/source/Voiceless_Mass) was constructed carefully but intentionally with the performance being held at a Catholic Church where in previous years had mistreated and silenced them.[21] Chacon has underlining themes of Indigenous culture as well as history that relates to the United States to further enhance his work.[22]

Aside from being a composer, he's also known for creating works of art, a prominent example would the [Storm Pattern](https://www.cabq.gov/artsculture/albuquerque-museum/exhibitions-1/raven-chacon-storm-pattern).[23] This piece carries [Navajo weaving](/source/Navajo_weaving) style while incorporating different symbols such as lightening bolts, arrows, digital audio. Chacon combines different elements like flying drones and the sounds of transmission from broadcast in his area.

## Postcommodity

Chacon was a member of the Native American art collective, [Postcommodity](/source/Postcommodity), with whom he has developed multimedia installations which have been exhibited internationally.[9] Other members include [Cristóbal Martínez](/source/Crist%C3%B3bal_Mart%C3%ADnez), [Kade L. Twist](/source/Kade_L._Twist), [Steven Yazzie](/source/Steven_Yazzie) and Nathan Young.[9] In 2017, as part of Postcommodity, Chacon created the multimedia project, *...in memoriam*, in Edmonton in 2017, curated by [Ociciwan Contemporary Art Collective](/source/Ociciwan_Contemporary_Art_Collective).[24]

## Personal life

Chacon lives in [Albuquerque, New Mexico](/source/Albuquerque%2C_New_Mexico), and is married to [Candice Hopkins](/source/Candice_Hopkins), a [Tagish](/source/Tagish) curator. His sister [Nani Chacon](/source/Nani_Chacon) is a muralist.

## Awards and honors

Chacon has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the 2022 [Pulitzer Prize for Music](/source/Pulitzer_Prize_for_Music), an [American Academy in Berlin](/source/American_Academy_in_Berlin) Prize (music composition), a [Creative Capital](/source/Creative_Capital) award (visual arts), a [United States Artists](/source/United_States_Artists) fellowship (music), a [Joan Mitchell Foundation](/source/Joan_Mitchell_Foundation) fellowship,[18] a [Native Arts and Cultures Foundation](/source/Native_Arts_and_Cultures_Foundation) artist fellowship,[25] among others.[5] Chacon received the inaugural [Mellon Foundation](/source/Mellon_Foundation) Artist-in-Residence fellowship for the [Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center](/source/Colorado_Springs_Fine_Arts_Center) at [Colorado College](/source/Colorado_College).[26] In October 2023, Chacon was named a [MacArthur Fellow](/source/MacArthur_Fellows_Program).[27]

## Partial discography

- *Voiceless Mass* (with [Present Music](/source/Present_Music) and [Ariadne Greif](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ariadne_Greif&action=edit&redlink=1)) ([New World Records](/source/New_World_Records), 2025)

- *Inhale/Exhale* (w/ Carlos Santistevan and Tatsuya Nakatani) ([Other Minds](/source/Other_Minds_(organization)) Records, 2022)

- *An Anthology of Chants Operations* (Ouidah, 2020)

- *Horse Notations* (Cimiotti Recordings, 2020)

- *Crisalide Fossile* (w/ [OvO](/source/OvO_(band))) (Bronson, 2016)

- *Your New Age Dream Contains More Blood Than You Can Imagine* 12"LP (w/ Postcommodity) (Anarchymoon, 2011)

- *Kitchen Sorcery* (w/ Bob Bellerue) (Prison Tatt Records, 2011)

- *At the Point Where the Rivers Crossed, We Drew Our Knives* 12"LP (Anarchymoon, 2010)

- *Black Streaked Hum* (Lightning Speak/Featherspines, 2009)

- *Overheard Songs* ([Innova](/source/Innova_Recordings), 2006)

- *The Incredible 17000 km Split* (split w/ Torturing Nurse) (8K Mob, 2006)

- *Jesus Was a Wino* (w/ Jeff Gburek) (Herbal Records, 2005)

- *Still/life* (Sicksicksick, 2004)

- *Meet the Beatless* (Sicksicksick, 2003)

## Publications

- *For Zitkála-Šá* Toronto: [Art Metropole](/source/Art_Metropole); [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-989010-16-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-989010-16-7) Los Angeles: [New Documents](/source/New_Documents); [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-953441-09-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-953441-09-6). 2022.

- *OEI #98–99: Aural Poetics* Stockholm: OEI. 2023.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SW_Cont_mag_1-0)** Porter, Clayton (August 2016). ["Studio Visit: Raven Chacon"](https://southwestcontemporary.com/raven-chacon/). *Southwest Contemporary*. Retrieved October 2, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Raven Chacon"](https://www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/recipients/raven-chacon/). [Foundation for Contemporary Arts](/source/Foundation_for_Contemporary_Arts). Retrieved November 28, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-cc_3-0)** ["Raven Chacon Fort Defiance, Navajo Nation, AZ"](https://creative-capital.org/artists/postcommodity/raven-chacon/). Creative Capital. Retrieved October 3, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Trinh, Jean. ["Raven Chacon: Producing Pulitzer Prize-Winning Work Through Experimental Sound"](https://thepool.calarts.edu/2022/07/26/raven-chacon-producing-pulitzer-prize-winning-work-through-experimental-sound/). *The Pool*. Retrieved January 19, 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Heard_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Heard_5-1) ["Still Life No. 3: Raven Chacon"](https://heard.org/exhibits/still-life-no-3-raven-chacon/). Heard Museum. Retrieved October 2, 2020.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-NMAI_6-0)** ["Transformer: Native Art in Light and Sound"](https://americanindian.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/item?id=960). Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Retrieved October 2, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-AI_Mag_7-0)** [Ash-Milby, Kathleen](/source/Kathleen_Ash-Milby) (Fall 2017). ["Art that Moves"](https://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/art-moves). *American Indian*. **18** (3). Retrieved October 2, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Top 5 Videos Celebrating the 2012 Sydney Biennale | BLOUIN ARTINFO"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140318092459/http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/823194/top-5-videos-celebrating-the-2012-sydney-biennale). Archived from [the original](http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/823194/top-5-videos-celebrating-the-2012-sydney-biennale) on March 18, 2014.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Princeton_AM_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Princeton_AM_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Princeton_AM_9-2) ["Postcommodity"](https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/artist-in-residence/postcommodity). Princeton University Art Museum. Retrieved October 2, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Postcommodity"](https://www.documenta14.de/en/artists/13562/postcommodity). documenta 14. Retrieved May 20, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SFEMF_11-0)** ["Raven Chacon"](http://www.sfemf.org/artists/raven-chacon/). San Francisco Electronic Music Festival. Retrieved October 3, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-PNT_12-0)** Timble, Lynn (June 26, 2019). ["Raven Chacon Returns to Phoenix, Explores Navajo Creation Story at the Heard"](https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/conversation-navajo-artist-raven-chacon-heard-museum-phoenix-11316751). Phoenix New Times. Retrieved October 2, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Performance Today"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100705165619/http://performancetoday.publicradio.org/features/2010/music_that_matters/composing_on_the_reservation.shtml). Archived from [the original](http://performancetoday.publicradio.org/features/2010/music_that_matters/composing_on_the_reservation.shtml) on July 5, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Kronos Quartet"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160204070104/http://kronosquartet.org/fifty-for-the-future/composers/raven-chacon). Archived from [the original](http://www.kronosquartet.org/fifty-for-the-future/composers/raven-chacon) on February 4, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2009-04-08-newMusicUSA_15-0)** Wein, Gail (April 8, 2009). ["Native American Composers"](https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/native-american-composers/). *newmusicusa.org*. [NewMusicBox](/source/NewMusicBox). Retrieved January 30, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["Creative Capital"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120115031420/http://creative-capital.org/grantees/view/602/project:718). Archived from [the original](http://creative-capital.org/grantees/view/602/project:718) on January 15, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["Raven Chacon | Native Arts and Cultures Foundation"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140415063106/http://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/individual/2014/raven-chacon). Archived from [the original](http://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/individual/2014/raven-chacon) on April 15, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014. Raven Chacon (Navajo) 2014 NACF Music Fellow

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AAB_18-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AAB_18-1) ["Raven Chacon: INGA MAREN OTTO FELLOW IN MUSIC COMPOSITION – CLASS OF SPRING 2018"](https://www.americanacademy.de/person/raven-chacon/). American Academy in Berlin. Retrieved October 2, 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_19-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_19-1) Huizenga, Tom (May 10, 2022). ["Meet Raven Chacon, the first Native American to win the Pulitzer Prize for music"](https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2022/05/10/1097760129/raven-chacon-pulitzer-prize-music). *NPR*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["Present Music"](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Present_Music&oldid=1294506485), *Wikipedia*, June 8, 2025, retrieved October 18, 2025

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["Raven Chacon's Voiceless Mass"](https://scottishensemble.co.uk/programme/2024-25/raven-chacons-voiceless-mass/). *Scottish Ensemble*. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** ["Raven Chacon"](https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2023/raven-chacon). *www.macfound.org*. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** ["Raven Chacon: Storm Pattern"](https://www.cabq.gov/artsculture/albuquerque-museum/exhibitions-1/raven-chacon-storm-pattern). *City of Albuquerque*. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** [Postcommodity, Alex Waterman and Ociciwan: "in memoriam..."](https://www.uhbooks.directory/2017/06/21/in-memoriam-postcommodity-alex-waterman-and-ociciwan/). uh books. 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2018

1. **[^](#cite_ref-NACF_25-0)** ["Raven Chacon"](https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/raven-chacon). Native Arts and Culture Foundation. November 7, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CC_26-0)** ["Raven Chacon, Lightning Speak"](https://fac.coloradocollege.edu/exhibits/raven-chacon/). Colorado College. Retrieved October 2, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** ["MacArthur Fellows – MacArthur Foundation"](https://www.macfound.org/programs/fellows/). *www.macfound.org*. Retrieved October 5, 2023.

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.spiderwebsinthesky.com/)

- [Fellow Spotlight: Raven Chacon](https://www.americanacademy.de/videoaudio/fellow-spotlight-raven-chacon/) at the [American Academy in Berlin](/source/American_Academy_in_Berlin)

- [2022 Pulitzer Prizes](https://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-year/2022)

- [Interviews with the Oral History of American Music, 2021–2025](https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3273586)

- [Upending Expectations for Indigenous Music, Noisily](https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA754490240&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=15538095&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=dahl83393&aty=shibboleth)

v t e Pulitzer Prize for Music 1943–1950 William Schuman (1943): A Free Song Howard Hanson (1944): Symphony No. 4 Aaron Copland (1945): Appalachian Spring Leo Sowerby (1946): The Canticle of the Sun Charles Ives (1947): Symphony No. 3 Walter Piston (1948): Symphony No. 3 Virgil Thomson (1949): Louisiana Story Gian Carlo Menotti (1950): The Consul 1951–1975 Douglas Moore (1951): Giants in the Earth Gail Kubik (1952): Symphony Concertante n.a. (1953) Quincy Porter (1954): Concerto Concertante Gian Carlo Menotti (1955): The Saint of Bleecker Street Ernst Toch (1956): Symphony No. 3 Norman Dello Joio (1957): Meditations on Ecclesiastes Samuel Barber (1958): Vanessa John La Montaine (1959): Piano Concerto No. 1 Elliott Carter (1960): String Quartet No. 2 Walter Piston (1961): Symphony No. 7 Robert Ward (1962): The Crucible Samuel Barber (1963): Piano Concerto n.a. (1964) n.a. (1965) Leslie Bassett (1966): Variations for Orchestra Leon Kirchner (1967): Quartet No. 3 for strings and electronic tape George Crumb (1968): Echoes of Time and the River Karel Husa (1969): String Quartet No. 3 Charles Wuorinen (1970): Time's Encomium Mario Davidovsky (1971): Synchronisms No. 6 Jacob Druckman (1972): Windows Elliott Carter (1973): String Quartet No. 3 Donald Martino (1974): Notturno Dominick Argento (1975): From the Diary of Virginia Woolf 1976–2000 Ned Rorem (1976): Air Music Richard Wernick (1977): Visions of Terror and Wonder Michael Colgrass (1978): Deja Vu Joseph Schwantner (1979): Aftertones of Infinity David Del Tredici (1980): In Memory of a Summer Day n.a. ('81) Roger Sessions (1982): Concerto for Orchestra Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (1983): Symphony No. 1 Bernard Rands (1984): Canti del Sole Stephen Albert (1985): Symphony No. 1 George Perle (1986): Wind Quintet No. 4 John Harbison (1987): The Flight into Egypt William Bolcom (1988): Twelve New Etudes for Piano Roger Reynolds (1989): Whispers Out of Time Mel Powell (1990): Duplicates: A Concerto Shulamit Ran (1991): Symphony Wayne Peterson (1992): The Face of the Night, the Heart of the Dark Christopher Rouse (1993): Trombone Concerto Gunther Schuller (1994): Of Reminiscences and Reflections Morton Gould (1995): Stringmusic George Walker (1996): Lilacs Wynton Marsalis (1997): Blood on the Fields Aaron Jay Kernis (1998): String Quartet No. 2 Melinda Wagner (1999): Concerto for Flute, Strings, and Percussion Lewis Spratlan (2000): Life Is a Dream 2001–2025 John Corigliano (2001): Symphony No. 2 Henry Brant (2002): Ice Field John Adams (2003): On the Transmigration of Souls Paul Moravec (2004): Tempest Fantasy Steven Stucky (2005): Second Concerto for Orchestra Yehudi Wyner (2006): Chiavi in Mano Ornette Coleman (2007): Sound Grammar David Lang (2008): The Little Match Girl Passion Steve Reich (2009): Double Sextet Jennifer Higdon (2010): Violin Concerto Zhou Long (2011): Madame White Snake Kevin Puts (2012): Silent Night Caroline Shaw (2013): Partita for 8 Voices John Luther Adams (2014): Become Ocean Julia Wolfe (2015): Anthracite Fields Henry Threadgill (2016): In for a Penny, In for a Pound Du Yun (2017): Angel's Bone Kendrick Lamar (2018): DAMN. Ellen Reid (2019): Prism Anthony Davis (2020): The Central Park Five Tania León (2021): Stride Raven Chacon (2022): Voiceless Mass Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels (2023): Omar Tyshawn Sorey (2024): Adagio (for Wadada Leo Smith) Susie Ibarra (2025): Sky Islands

Authority control databases International VIAF GND National United States Artists ULAN MusicBrainz Other IdRef Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Raven Chacon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raven_Chacon) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raven_Chacon?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.