Mia Stroutsos grew up feeling that her father, flutist Gary Stroutsos, was a well-known figure who easily connected with everyone he encountered. While it sometimes embarrassed her when he practiced the flute at the park while she and her brother, Zach, played, she now views this as a testament to his warm and generous nature.
“It’s so beautiful to know that that’s who he was, so warm and generous and such a connector,” she reflected.
Gary Stroutsos passed away on October 12 at the age of 70 due to complications from multiple system atrophy. Throughout his career, Stroutsos earned acclaim for his work with the North American Indigenous flute, releasing over two dozen albums, contributing to the soundtrack of Ken Burns’ PBS documentary Lewis and Clark: Journey of the Corps of Discovery, and performing at the White House, among many notable appearances. His primary mission was to preserve and advance Indigenous music and culture.
“He really felt a deep sense of honor and responsibility from his Indigenous collaborators,” Mia stated. “That was what he was tasked to do by them and with them.”
Born in Barre, Vermont, Stroutsos attended high school and Grand Valley State College (now University) in Michigan, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. After spending some time in California, he relocated to Seattle in the late 1970s. Before fully committing to music, Mia noted that her father, known for his love of berets and sunglasses, excelled as a top suit salesman at Nordstrom.
Stroutsos developed an interest in the flute after attending a Jethro Tull concert during his college years. The day after, he purchased a flute at a pawn shop and began teaching himself to play. Despite not reading music, he thrived in performing jazz and Cuban flute music.
His true passion for the flute emerged after hearing North Dakota musician and hoop dancer Kevin Locke, who is celebrated for playing the Indigenous flute. Stroutsos, who identified as a Greek Italian American, traveled to North Dakota to study under Locke. He later became the only non-tribal member signed to the Native American record label Makoché, as noted by the label’s president in a 2017 interview with public radio station WMUK.
“Over many years, he developed deep relationships with Indigenous people, allowing him to learn from them and carry the music forward,” Mia explained. “Keeping the music alive was his main focus.”
To share Indigenous music with audiences, Stroutsos performed not only at concerts but also at schools across Washington and the United States. Mia recently learned from her childhood teachers that her father often did not schedule these school performances in advance; he would simply arrive with his flutes.
One of his spontaneous performances led to a friendship with author and educator Julie Cajune, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Cajune recalled seeing a man playing flute between scenes during a staged reading of Moon Over Mission Dam, a play about the impact of dams on Native communities.
Cajune initially wondered, “Why is that white guy playing the flute?” but later connected with Stroutsos, leading to a strong friendship and collaboration.
“There’s a difference between those who become allies and collaborators and those who try to replace you; Gary never wanted to do that,” she noted. “He wanted to collaborate.”
One notable collaboration was Öngtupqa, a trio Stroutsos formed with Hopi singer Clark Tenakhongva and percussionist Matt Nelson. The trio recently performed at the University of Washington as part of a three-day residency that included a lecture from Tenakhongva and a discussion between Stroutsos and John-Carlos Perea (Mescalero Apache, Irish, Chicano, German), an associate professor of ethnomusicology and American Indian Studies at UW.
Stroutsos sent Perea one of his CDs in 2010 when Perea was teaching in San Francisco. They stayed in touch, and when Perea moved to Washington last year, he reconnected with Stroutsos in person.
“The experience of speaking with someone you feel you’ve known for so long, even after just meeting, and connecting through music and community building—that’s what it’s about,” Perea reflected. “That really is a blessing.”
Cajune emphasized the impact of Stroutsos’ passing on Indigenous communities nationwide. “Gary was a beautiful force of nature,” she said. “He was a one-in-a-million kind of person.”
In addition to Mia and Zach, Stroutsos is survived by his wife, Alice Stroutsos; son-in-law Michael; two sisters; and family in Vermont. The family plans to host a celebration of life in the spring and has created a GoFundMe page to assist with medical bills and the event. Any remaining funds will be donated to the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office in Arizona.
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