An evening of shared music, cultural respect, and community storytelling to honor a four-decade relationship

SYRACUSE, NY — The Syracuse Community Choir is excited to announce the first concert of its 40th anniversary season, taking place on Saturday, June 1 at 5:30 PM at the Onondaga Nation School, 3285 State Route 11A, Nedrow, NY. This special concert honors the choir’s long-standing relationship with the Onondaga Nation and invites the wider community to celebrate connection, culture, and shared singing.

The relationship between the Onondaga Nation and the Syracuse Community Choir spans four decades. Over the years, the choir has visited the Nation, shared songs and stories, and stood in solidarity through moments of struggle and healing. This bond remains grounded in mutual respect, cultural exchange, and a shared vision of peace and justice.

Inspired by the Indigenous teaching All My Relations (Agwegih kheh noñh gwa soñh), the concert honors our personal connection with one another and all living things. This guiding belief shapes the spirit of this collaboration and reminds us of our shared responsibility to each other and to Mother Earth.

“For forty years, the Syracuse Community Choir has walked beside us offering songs of peace, voices of hope, and unwavering friendship. Their presence honors our shared connection to each other and all living things,” in the words of our Onondaga friends.
Together with the Onondaga Women’s Singing Society, the choir will share a retelling of the Sky Woman creation story, a foundational story within Haudenosaunee tradition. The evening will also feature social justice and songs for peace performed by the choir’s Adult, Teen, and Youth ensembles.

“Our relationship with the Onondaga people goes back decades,” said Karen Mihalyi, Syracuse Community Choir Executive Director. “They have given so much to this region—wisdom, stewardship, and care. This concert is an expression of gratitude and an invitation to learn from their perspective on what it means to live in balance with the earth and one another.”
Guests are warmly invited to arrive early for a community potluck at 4:00 PM, where neighbors, friends, and families can gather before the concert to share a meal and fellowship. Guests will also have the chance to enter into raffle giveaways, including a $500 cash prize and a $100 Wegmans gift card.

Event Details
What: Syracuse Community Choir 40th Anniversary Concert – All My Relations
When: Saturday, June 1, 2025
Covered Dish Supper/Potluck at 4:00 PM
Concert at 5:30 PM
Where: Onondaga Nation School, 3285 State Route 11A, Nedrow, NY
Admission: Suggested donation at the door. All are welcome regardless of ability to pay.
The venue is wheelchair accessible. Masks are welcome. Interpreter for the deaf by Kelly Lann.