Commission Stories: Championing Damien Geter
Artistic Director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon with composer, vocalist, and co-artistic advisor Damien Geter
COMMISSION STORIES | ABOUT
Read, listen, and experience stories from our commissioned artists—the voices of today
Our end of year theme is Championing the Music of Tomorrow by Supporting the Voices of Today. This month we unveiled “Commission Stories,” a vital archive of our unwavering commitment to mission-based art and the exceptional composers who have contributed to its legacy.
Each work that Resonance commissions is more than just a new piece. It’s a relationship with an artist. It’s a journey for our ensemble. It’s a deep and lasting impact on our community. Every commission has a history all its own, and we invite you to explore them in our new gallery—15 years in the making.
COMMISSION STORY HIGHLIGHT | DAMIEN GETER
This week, we highlight beloved composer Damien Geter. Resonance has premiered over half a dozen works from Geter, some of which eventually became part of our most ambitious commission to date, An African American Requiem. Resonance worked with Geter long before this national success story, however, and today we highlight a particularly poignant work he wrote for our Intensive Care program in 2019: The Talk: Instructions for Black Children When They Interact with the Police.
Discussing the inspiration behind this significant composition, Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon remarked, “When Resonance was planning the repertoire for our Intensive Care concert, we were struck by the absence of the perspectives of parents of color, especially Black parents, in the choral repertoire. The enduring tradition of Black parents imparting crucial survival advice to their children during encounters with the police, often referred to as ‘The Talk,’ stood out as a poignant yet overlooked narrative. Artistic Advisor Damien Geter and I dug deeply into repertoire by many composers we admire, and we kept wishing we could find a piece of music that encapsulated that crucial conversation, but we couldn’t find anything. Damien finally said, ‘You know what? I'm going to write that piece. We need it.’ The piece Resonance premiered at that concert became a standout moment I will never forget.”
Witness the powerful premiere of this moving work in the video below offering a glimpse into why Damien Geter stands as one of the foremost composers of our era.
Click here to read the full story and find more Commission Stories.
SUPPORT MORE STORIES TODAY!
Head to our Commission Stories gallery to read more about this and other works. These stories are made possible thanks to your generous contributions. Resonance Ensemble is working to raise $15,000 for the Dinah Dodds Fund for the Creation of New Art to support the commission and recording of new works! Read more to learn about the campaign, and how you can help champion the music of tomorrow by supporting the voices of today.