The Blacknificent 7

Damien Geter curates this concert of vocal music by a collective of leading Black composers known as the Blacknificent 7, a group that includes Geter, Jasmine Barnes, Jessie Montgomery, Shawn Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, Carlos Simon, and Joel Thompson.

Conducted by Katherine FitzGibbon and Shohei Kobayashi, one of the concert’s centerpieces will be the Oregon premiere of Geter’s Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow, with a soprano soloist and cellist Nancy Ives. Adding to the excitement, Resonance will also debut their latest commission, by award-winning composer, Dave Ragland.

About the Blacknificent 7: Composer collectives form for diverse reasons, but their core purpose lies in fostering feedback, collaboration, and camaraderie. These three elements serendipitously united 7 Black composers amidst the profound isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blacknificent 7 is now a collective of Black composers, all united in a mission of using music as a form of social activism.

Featured Artists and Performers:
Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon, conductor
Damien Geter, curator and featured composer
Dave Ragland, commissioned composer
Shohei Kobayashi, conductor
Nancy Ives, cello
TBD, soprano soloist
Resonance Ensemble