Indigenous Creativity in Music
Composition Project
2025
2025 Recipient: Geneviève Gros-Louis
www.genevievegroslouis.com | @theonewomansymphony
With a career that spans classical performance, film scoring, and Indigenous cultural advocacy, Geneviève spent over a decade as a section first violinist with the Des Moines Symphony and Des Moines Metro Opera. Her versatility as a performer and composer allows her to move seamlessly between concert halls, fashion runways, and film studios—always with the goal of fostering deeper cultural understanding through music and storytelling.
Through every performance, composition, and collaboration, Gros-Louis honors her roots while pushing artistic boundaries. Her work is a call to listen—deeply and intentionally—to the voices, stories, and histories that too often go unheard. Geneviève Gros-Louis is a Los Angeles–based composer, violinist, and producer from the Huron-Wendat Nation in Wendake, Québec, whose powerful, story-driven music explores mental health, sexual violence, and the ongoing challenges faced by Indigenous communities. She draws from both personal experience and her community’s history to create work that is emotionally resonant, culturally grounded, and unapologetically bold.
A graduate of McGill University with a degree in violin performance, Geneviève has captivated audiences across the world through interdisciplinary collaborations and performances. She has presented her original compositions at prestigious events including the Cannes Film Festival, Paris Fashion Week, Strawberry Moon Festival, Santa Fe Indian Market, and Pechanga Pow Wow. Her work has also been featured in the Washington State History Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, Anchorage Museum, and Des Moines Art Center, as well as in a recent exhibition installation for the Erie Canal’s Bicentennial commemoration at Buffalo’s canal-side waterfront.
Gros-Louis brings a distinctive voice to film and television, weaving Indigenous identity and emotional depth into every score. Her recent work includes composing for Life Below Zero: First Alaskans (Season 3) and Life Below Zero (Season 12) for National Geographic. She also created original music for the Clooney Foundation for Justice, scored Courage—an award-winning short film by world champion hoop dancer and Cirque du Soleil performer Eric Michael Hernandez—and composed music for Reclaim My Skin, a documentary series by award-winning director Marie Clements. In addition to her film and television work, she has performed violin on Dancing with the Stars and collaborated with artists such as Nelly Furtado, Tony Duncan, and Pura Fé of Ulali—seamlessly blending Indigenous musical traditions with contemporary cinematic and pop styles.
2025 Project Jury
Sherryl Sewepagaham Sherryl Sewepagaham, a dynamic Cree-Dene artist from the Little Red River Cree Nation, Northern Alberta, blends her heritage with artistry, composition, and education. She is a current PhD student at UBC and holds a 2024 Vanier Scholar title, and was awarded a SSHRC Doctoral Award and a UBC Indigenous Graduate Fellowship award all in the same academic year. She has devoted over two decades to K-6 music education infusing Indigenous musical traditions and creating Indigenous-focused teaching resources for MusiCounts, the Music Alive Program with the National Arts Centre, and the Alberta Orff Chapter. She is a passionate advocate of Cree language songs contributing to the resilient work of Indigenous language preservation and retention in communities, education, and academic scholarship.
J. Alex. Young J. Alex. Young is a Cree-Settler Composer from Northern Ontario. He holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from Carleton University, a master’s in composition from the University of Ottawa, and a Ph.D. in Composition based on his research of Cree culture. He has operated as an Indigenous student advisor for the University of Calgary Equity Diversity Inclusion and Decolonization Committee and is currently a dedicated member of the Canadian Music Centre’s Accountability for Change and Indigenous Advisory Councils. In 2019, he was awarded the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship for his research on Indigenous culture, encompassing aspects of Cree storytelling, ceremony and song as inspiration for new creative works. His most recent work, titled šâkohtâw was premiered on February 27, 2022, by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as an Indigenous composer commissioned to create a new work for Tom Jackson’s digital series The Bear and the Wild Rose. He has upcoming works to be premiered with the Calgary Wind Symphony and Tim Brady’s Instruments of Happiness ensemble. Starting in September 2022, he joined the School of Music at Brandon University as Assistant Professor of Composition and Indigenous Music Perspectives. J. Alex Young feels that unity of self, community, land and spirit must be maintained to reflect a musical concord between his Indigenous Cree and Western settler heritage. His compositions are combinatory of Western sonic orchestrations and Cree-based narrative explorations of his connection to home, family, story and spirituality.
Ariel Carrabré Ariel Carrabré is a Montreal-based cellist originally from Manitoba and a laureate of numerous competitions, including the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition. Actively involved in contemporary music, he places a particular emphasis on championing Métis composers, reflecting his own Red River Métis heritage. He earned his Bachelor's degree in performance at McGill University before pursuing two Master's degrees at the University of Ottawa: one in cello performance with Paul Marleyn, and another in music theory, supported by a prestigious SSHRC grant. Ariel completed his academic journey with a doctorate in performance at the University of Montreal, studying under Yegor Dyachkov. His doctoral research focused on injury prevention and recovery for string players, emphasizing the explication and management of muscular tension.
Indigenous Creativity in Music Project Description (PDF version here) Ensemble Urbain Musique is excited to extend an open invitation for Indigenous Canadian composers to collaborate on the Indigenous Creativity in Music Composition Project. This project encourages the creation of works for string orchestra or chamber ensemble by Canadian composers of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis origin. One (1) selected applicant will receive $5,000 CAD to compose a work to be premiered by Ensemble Urbain Musique, and will additionally be invited to co-curate a program around the work in tandem with the ensemble. The work will be premiered as part of Ensemble Urbain Musique’s program “Origines” in late September-early October 2025. This project is generously underwritten by the Museon Fund for Creativity and the Guilde des musiciens et des musiciennes du Québec (GMMQ), with assistance from Innovations en Concert. About Ensemble Urbain Musique Ensemble Urbain Musique is a conductorless string ensemble specializing in works by composers from identities that have historically been silenced within Western Classical music. As a Tio'Tia:ke/Montréal-based non-profit organization, we strive to make our concerts an integral part of our community by bringing our art to spaces beyond the traditional concert hall. We love these spaces because they encourage connections between us and our audience. We prioritize programming music by composers of all ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations, and we pride ourselves in performing music that invites our audience to experience something new. We acknowledge that the area that Ensemble Urbain Musique serves, Tio'Tia:ke/Montréal, is unceded Indigenous land, and recognize the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation as the custodians of the lands and waters around us. This area has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst the Kanien'kehá:ka and many other First Nations, including the Huron/Wendat, Abenaki, and Anishinaabeg, and continues to serve as such today for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Our ensemble endeavours to serve as a place of gathering and connection; this project aims to honor this tradition by providing creative exchange of mutual benefit to composer and ensemble. Project Timeline April 1, 2025: Application deadline April-May 2025: Selected applicant notified; announcement made May 2025: Program Curation consultation May-August 2025: Selected applicant composes work for ensemble August 8, 2025: Final score & parts due; composer receives payment September-October 2025: Performance of selected composer’s work Application and Selection Process Applicants are asked to submit the following: Concept/inspiration for new work – Applicants are asked to submit a short description of and/or vision for the work to be composed for Ensemble Urbain Musique. Additionally, if they desire, applicants may also submit supporting materials related to the work to be created — we encourage applicants to submit whatever creative materials related to the work that they consider to be helpful for evaluation by the Indigenous leadership panel. The following is a list, by no means exhaustive, of potential supporting materials: Representation of inspiration for the work to be composed (for example, a picture of a work of art, or recording of nature) with an accompanying explanation. An in-progress excerpt of the work or compositional sketch (of any length) in score, audio, or video format. Scores or performance instructions for two (2) works previously composed by the applicant that they feel represents their compositional style, with supporting audio and/or video representation of at least one of the works. A short biography, résumé or CV. Applications will be evaluated by a leadership panel consisting of Indigenous curators and artists. The application materials must be received by April 1, 2025, and the selected applicant will be notified in April-May 2025. The selected applicant will receive $5,000 CAD, to be paid upon delivery of the completed parts and score to Ensemble Urbain Musique by August 8, 2025. Performance One (1) selected applicant will compose a work of approximately 6-10 minutes duration written for multiple instrumentalists, with a maximum instrumentation of the following instruments: Up to 9 Violins Up to 3 Violas Up to 3 Cellos Up to 2 Double Basses Up to 1 Guitar (Classical, Acoustic, or Electric) Applicants are also encouraged to explore incorporating instruments or elements outside of those listed above (such as traditional Indigenous instruments, electronics, piano, percussion), provided they consult with Ensemble Urbain Musique to determine the logistical feasibility of incorporating these elements. The selected applicant’s work will be performed by Ensemble Urbain Musique as part of the ensemble’s Fall 2025 concert season. Program Curation Additionally, to facilitate a fully collaborative and curated experience, the selected composer is encouraged to pair their work on the program with another piece of their choosing, with a maximum of 10 minutes duration for the accompanying work. The accompanying work is subject to the same maximum instrumentation requirements as the applicant’s original composition, and will be chosen by the selected composer in consultation with Ensemble Urbain Musique and Music Director Joshua Morris in May 2025. Eligibility To be considered for this prize, applicants must: be of First Nations, Inuit or Métis origin; and be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (you do not need to be living in Canada when you apply). The selected applicant will be asked to present proof of Indigenous status in accordance with criteria defined by the Indigenous organization Indspire, which can be found at this link. (These criteria are defined within the “Indigenous” section of section 2.0 of the document, “Definitions”). Requirements Please include the following in your application: Concept/inspiration for new work: Short description/vision of the work to be composed in PDF format. Any supporting materials should be in the following formats: Text/photo: JPEG, PDF, PNG Audio: MIDI, MP3, WAV Video: MOV, MP4, WMV Scores or performance instructions for two (2) works previously composed by the applicant that they feel are representative of their compositional output, with an audio or video representation of at least one of the works (either a live or computer-generated recording.) The scores/performance instructions should be PDF files, and the audio/video representation should be in one of the following formats: Audio: MIDI, MP3, WAV Video: MOV, MP4, WMV A short biography, résumé, or CV (in PDF format) Application Submission All applications must be submitted in electronic format in a single folder by April 1, 2025. Applicants should upload their materials via one of the following (or similar) file-sharing websites: Dropbox Google Drive WeTransfer Please make sure file/folder sharing settings are set to “public” or “everyone” so materials can be shared with the Indigenous leadership panel (please note that only the leadership panel and Ensemble Urbain Musique representatives will have access to these materials). Once all materials are uploaded, please send the link to the folder to ensembleurbain@gmail.com, with the following subject line: 2025 Indigenous Creativity in Music Composition Project – [applicant’s name] If applicants have any questions about the project or the application process, please contact ensembleurbain@gmail.com for clarification.