Eukaryotica (world premiere, commissioned by the OM)

Eukaryotica, a song for the land 

A Blackfoot composer from the Blood Tribe in Alberta, Sonny-Ray Day Rider has a wide musical range. After graduating from the University of Lethbridge in composition and receiving a Medal of Merit for his thesis project, he is now a visiting professor at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. His works have been performed by several renowned Canadian ensembles, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Kensington Sinfonia, the Penderecki String Quartet, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. He has also held a seat on the Indigenous Advisory Circle of the Library and Archives Canada. 

We asked him a few questions about his work and Eukaryotica, which will open our 2025-2026 season, continuing the OM’s tradition of beginning each season with the notes of a First Nations composer. 

How would you describe your musical style? 

I like to work with varying genres, but in relation to classical music. I like to think that this facet of my musical personality (contemporary classical) has been influenced by the music of Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Philip Glass, to name a few. 

What usually inspires you when you compose? 

Like most artists, my work is inspired by my life experiences and my Indigenous musical “knowing,”  — Blackfoot utilization and functions of music. The Blackfoot believed music is how the “supernatural” communicates with us. I like to think of the music I create as a spirit wanting to be heard. 

Song-making for me has been about the exploration of understanding my humanity, related and reflected back in the phenomena of the natural world. 

What was your inspiration for Eukaryotica? 

I was inspired by the “birth” of the first eukaryotic cell and the biomechanical phases of cell division. Eukaryogenesis is an emergent phenomenon that resulted in the manifestation of the complex “living” world around us. 

What does the title Eukaryotica refer to? What does it mean to you? 

Eukaryotica, the First Daughter, is the first child of this planet and our first sacred mother. 

How does your work interact with Mahler’s Symphony No. 3? 

The extramusical thematic elements of our connection/interest in nature are undoubtedly present. I say that the interaction lies in the contrasting perceptions of nature and humanity (Mahler’s and mine). 

My ancestry is a direct lineage and remembrance of the Old Ones before us. 

I sing from the land and I sing for the land. I do not sing to the land.