About Resonance Ensemble

In its Sixteenth season, Resonance Ensemble, a professional vocal ensemble based in Portland, Oregon, continues to create powerful programs that promote meaningful social change.

Programming with Purpose

Resonance’s award-winning programming takes a radically collaborative approach, developing concerts in conversation with community partners. Resonance commissions and champions new works by composers and poets whose stories have been underrepresented on the concert stage. These programs have brought the work of activists, photographers, filmmakers, and other community partners into conversation with the programmed music and texts.

Exceptional Artistry

Under Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon, Resonance Ensemble has performed challenging and diverse music, always with an eye toward unique collaborations with artistic partners from around the country: poets, jazz musicians, singer-songwriters, painters, playwrights, and dancers.

The Resonance Ensemble singers are “one of the Northwest’s finest choirs” (Willamette Week), known for their gorgeous vocal tone and making music with heart. Resonance has commissioned new works from esteemed artists including A. Mimi Sei, Darrell Grant, Cecille Elliott, Jasmine Barnes, Kenji Bunch, Melissa Dunphy, Judy A. Rose, Renée Favand-See, Damien Geter, Joe Kye, S. Renee Mitchell, Kimberly R. Osberg, Vin Shambry, Mari Esabel Valverde, and Freddy Vilches.

Looking ahead to season 2024-25, they announce new commissions from four-time Emmy-nominated composer Dave Ragland, Ringdown with Caroline Shaw and Danni Lee (a new arrangement for Ringdown and Resonance), and a new commission from Cecille Elliott.

Each concert connects the musical experience with tangible ways the audience can take action in collaboration with our community partner organizations.

Tangible Connection

The groundbreaking work that Resonance Ensemble has been producing over the last few years has been noted by local media and national arts organizations. In Oregon Arts Watch, Matthew Andrews described Resonance as “Part social commentary, part group therapy, and part best damn choir show in town" (June 2019). Chorus America honored Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon in the summer of 2019 with the Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal for her work rededicating Resonance to promoting meaningful social change, and for the meaningful community partnerships she creates.

For the tribute to Dr. FitzGibbon, please visit click here.