Composed 2013; 12 minutes

Impichcha̱achaaha' Tate, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma frequently writes within Western classical forms—symphonic, chamber, solo piano, and opera to commissions from major ensembles and organizations across the U.S. —while grounding his musical language in Chickasaw stories, rhythms, and aesthetics. In 2021, he was appointed a Cultural Ambassador for the U. S. Department of State. In 2025, Tate won the Wise-Hinrichsen Award in Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Among many recent premieres, Tate’s highlights include commissions from the New York Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, Cantori NY, and Turtle Island Quartet. Tate is currently at work on a new violin concerto for acclaimed violinist Irina Muresanu, as well as new works for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and North Carolina Symphony Orchestra.

His middle name, Impichchaachaaha', means “their high corncrib” and is his inherited traditional Chickasaw house name. 

“Pisachi – the Chickasaw word for Reveal,” Tate writes, “is composed in six epitomes (sections) and was originally commissioned to be performed within a slide show exhibit for the quartet ETHEL’s touring project entitled Documerica. Pisachi was assigned to accompany images of the American Indian Southwest. In doing so, the work draws specifically from Hopi and Pueblo Indian music, rhythms and form. The opening viola solo is a paraphrase of a Pueblo Buffalo Dance and becomes material throughout. Later, the work refers to Hopi Buffalo Dance and Hopi Elk Dance music. It is the composer’s intent to honor his Southwest Indian cousins through classical repertoire.”