The Composers Behind the Music of The B7
Discover the Voices Behind the Blacknificent 7: A Deeper Look at the Composers' Impact
In our last post, we explored the origins of the Blacknificent 7 and how they came together as a group. Today, we turn the focus to the composers themselves—delving into their personal stories, backgrounds, and the unique perspectives they bring to their work. Get to know these 7 leading Black American composers.
DAMIEN GETER
(Resonance Commissioned Composer)
DAVE RAGLAND
(Resonance Commissioned Composer)
Dave Ragland is a four-time EMMY-nominated composer, vocalist, pianist, and conductor, praised as “über-talented” by The Nashville Scene. He won First Place in The Atlanta Opera’s 96-Hour Opera Composition Competition and received the 2022 Adams-Owens Composition Award. Ragland’s work has earned the 2021 American Prize in Composition and two Midsouth Regional EMMY nominations for his role in Nashville Opera’s ONE VOTE WON.
Ragland is collaborating on Davis' opera Ligeia Mare and created the operas CHARLIE AND THE WOLF and BEATRICE for Cedar Rapids and Portland Opera. His compositions are featured in Karen Slack’s African Queens project. As Artistic Director of Inversion Vocal Ensemble, Ragland has toured regionally, performing with top artists. He’s also worked with the Nashville Symphony, Nashville Ballet, and Memphis Symphony, and was the 2020 GRADY-RAYAM Composer-in-Residence.
Resonance Ensemble is thrilled to commission Dave Ragland’s latest work—a third from the B7! Portland audiences will be the first to hear the WORLD PREMIERE of Seven Prayers: Hope for Everyone, performed live by Resonance Ensemble on Sunday, November 17, 2024!
Damien Geter is an acclaimed composer and bass-baritone whose work blends classical music with styles from the Black diaspora to promote social justice. A Composer-in-Residence at the Richmond Symphony, Geter is also the Interim Music Director and Artistic Advisor at Portland Opera. His compositions, including An African American Requiem, American Apollo, and Loving v. Virginia, have garnered praise for their powerful vocal writing. This season, he debuts works with Des Moines Metro Opera, Virginia Opera, and the Richmond Symphony.
In addition to his composing, Geter has performed on operatic stages and television, with recent credits including the role of William Still in Sanctuary Road and his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in Porgy and Bess. A frequent concert performer, Geter has sung with the Richmond Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, and at The Kennedy Center. He owns DG Music and is the author of Music in Context: An Examination of Western European Music Through a Sociopolitical Lens.
For the past 10 years, we have had the honor of working with Damien in various capacities, including as Artistic Advisor, Board member, vocalist, and commissioned composer. A dear friend of Resonance, we are proud of his achievements and the impact he continues to make in the world of music.
Resonance has had the great honor to perform many projects from Damien Geter over the years - and will be featuring FOUR of these fantastic collaborations on our upcoming album, Safe Harbor. Including this video he composer for our Under the Overpass video series. You can check out more about his story with Resonance on this blog post, or peruse our Commission Stories gallery for more on our collaborations with Damien!
JESSIE MONTGOMERY
Jessie Montgomery, named Musical America’s 2023 Composer of the Year, is a GRAMMY®-winning composer, violinist, and educator known for blending classical music with vernacular styles, improvisation, and social themes. Her works, described as "turbulent, wildly colorful, and exploding with life" (The Washington Post), are regularly performed by top orchestras worldwide. As the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead Composer-in-Residence since 2021, her recent premieres include Hymn for Everyone and Five Freedom Songs. Upcoming projects include a work for the New York Philharmonic and her final commissions with the CSO. Montgomery’s accolades include the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, and she currently teaches at Vanderbilt University, Bard College, and The New School.
CARLOS SIMON
GRAMMY®-nominated Carlos Simon blends gospel, jazz, and neo-romanticism in his music, spanning concert pieces, film scores, and liturgical compositions. His works have been commissioned by leading institutions, including the National Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and LA Master Chorale. As Composer-in-Residence at the Kennedy Center and inaugural Composer Chair of the Boston Symphony, Simon’s recent premieres include brea(d)th, a powerful response to systemic oppression. Nominated for a 2023 GRAMMY for Requiem for the Enslaved, Simon’s music reflects heritage, identity, and social justice. He also performs internationally and teaches at Georgetown University.
SHAWN E. OKPEBHOLO
GRAMMY®-nominated composer Shawn E. Okpebholo, known for his reimagined Negro spirituals album Lord, How Come Me Here?, is celebrated for his "devastatingly beautiful" music (Washington Post). His compositions, described as "fresh and fearless" (New York Times), have earned him numerous accolades, including the Inaugural Leslie Adams-Robert Owens Composition Award and commissions from the Chicago Symphony, Tanglewood, and the Kennedy Center. His art songs have been performed by top opera companies, and his chamber music graces prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall. Okpebholo’s music is also featured on three GRAMMY®-nominated albums. Currently, he serves as Professor of Composition at Wheaton College and Composer-in-Residence with the Lexington Philharmonic.
JASMINE BARNES
(Resonance Commissioned Composer)
Jasmine Arielle Barnes is a versatile composer and vocalist whose music has been performed worldwide. Specializing in writing for the voice, she has composed five operas, embracing various styles and instrumentation. Raised in Baltimore City, she earned both her BA and MA in Music from Morgan State University, where she became the first composition major. Barnes previously led the Composition and Jazz Voice departments at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, TX. She is passionate about contributing to the arts and teaching the next generation of musicians.
Resonance Ensemble has had the pleasure of performing Jasmine’s work multiple times in recent years, including Normal Never Was, co-commissioned in 2020 as part of our Commissions for Now series. The piece will also be featured on our upcoming album, Safe Harbor. Watch this video from a 2023 performance of it here and read the full story on the commission here.
JOEL THOMPSON
Joel Thompson is a composer, conductor, pianist, and educator, best known for the choral work, Seven Last Words of the Unarmed (2018 American Prize for Choral Composition) and his recent opera, The Snowy Day (which Portland audiences just recently enjoyed through Portland Opera this past spring!).
Thompson’s works have been performed by esteemed ensembles such as the The New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Houston Grand Opera, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Master Chorale, Los Angeles Master Chorale, EXIGENCE, and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. Currently a doctoral student at the Yale School of Music, Thompson was also a 2017 post-graduate fellow in Arizona State University’s Ensemble Lab/Projecting All Voices Initiative and a composition fellow at the 2017 Aspen Music Festival and School, where he studied with composers Stephen Hartke and Christopher Theofanidis and won the 2017 Hermitage Prize.
Thompson taught at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Atlanta from 2015 to 2017, and also served as Director of Choral Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at Andrew College from 2013 to 2015. Thompson has a B.A. in Music and an M.M. in Choral Conducting, both from Emory University.
Resonance has been fortunate to perform Joel Thompson’s music on several of our programs, including our recent spring program AMENDMENTS: RIGHTING OUR WRONGS, where we featured two of his stunning choral works inspired by Langston Hughes texts: Hold Fast to Dreams and The Caged Bird Sings for Freedom. Check them out in the videos below.
JOIN US FOR THE BLACKNIFICENT 7!
Single tickets for this event are on sale now through the Alberta Rose Theatre. Doors will open at 1:30pm, with the program starting at 2pm. For full event information, including the programmed works, visit the event page linked here.
WHAT: THE BLACKNIFICENT 7
WHEN: Sunday, November 17th | 2:00 PM
WHERE: Alberta Rose Theatre | 3000 NE Alberta St | Portland, OR | 97211
Read about this event by clicking here, or get your tickets below!
Seven Prayers, Hope for Everyone. Meet the Blacknificent 7.
“Damien Geter, Jasmine Barnes, Shawn E. Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, Jessie Montgomery, Carlos Simon, and Joel Thompson are among the most exceptional artists of our time. To have just one of their works would be a highlight, but to feature all seven in one evening is truly extraordinary.”
Meet The Blacknificent 7: seven visionary composers whose works are reshaping the classical music landscape. With Grammy and Emmy awards and nominations, prestigious residencies, and acclaimed commissions to their names, the composers of B7 have written for orchestras, chamber ensembles, opera, and choirs worldwide. On Sunday, November 17, Resonance Ensemble proudly presents a concert curated by Damien Geter and featuring the choral works of all 7 members of this extraordinary collective. Portland audiences have a rare chance to experience the powerful choral music of The Blacknificent 7—all in one unforgettable evening.
from @blacknificentseven (IG)
Who are The Blacknificent 7?
The seven composers first connected in 2020 when artists began gathering online to support one another through the isolating times of the pandemic. The group—Jasmine Barnes, Damien Geter, Shawn E. Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, Jessie Montgomery, Joel Thompson, and Carlos Simon—quickly formed close bonds and as the world began reopening and in-person performances resumed, they continued to champion one another.
“We started as a group of like-minded friends, supporting each other and sharing experiences about being composers—and specifically Black composers,” said curator and longtime Resonance collaborator Damien Geter. “That connection grew, leading to our debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in December 2023.
For Shawn Okpebholo, B7 was nothing less than “life-giving” during a time of contagion-spurred isolation. “…understanding comes from being around people “who look like you.”
“We just want to make music that rings true to our individual voices," said composer Jasmine Barnes, "and continue to be the representation and change that we’ve always wanted to see.”
Guest composer Dave Ragland
Composer Dave Ragland to Attend for the World Premiere of Seven Prayers, Hope for Everyone
The Sunday afternoon concert features the world premiere of Seven Prayers, Hope for Everyone, a new choral work by Dave Ragland, commissioned by Resonance Ensemble for The Blacknificent 7. Ragland will be present for the premiere and will join Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon and Artistic Advisor Shohei Kobayashi for a post-concert discussion.
Join us at The Alberta Rose Theatre!
“This concert I’ve curated with Resonance will be special because it’s rare to have our choral music featured in one program.” Geter says. “Audiences have a chance to experience all of our work together in a single evening - that’s what makes this exciting.”
Single tickets for this event are on sale now through the Alberta Rose Theatre. Doors will open at 1:30 pm, with the program starting at 2pm. For full event information, including the programmed works, and how to buy tickets, visit the event page linked here.
MEET THE COMPOSERS
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Damien Geter is an acclaimed American composer who infuses classical music with various styles from the Black diaspora to create music that furthers the cause for social justice, as well as a celebrated bass-baritone whose varied credits include performances from the operatic stage to the television screen. He is Richmond Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence through 2026 and serves as Interim Music Director & Artistic Advisor at Portland Opera.
Read more about Damien and his work here!
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Dave Ragland is a four-time EMMY nominated composer, vocalist, pianist, and conductor. Hailed as “über-talented” by The Nashville Scene, Ragland was named the First Place Winner of The Atlanta Opera’s 96-Hour Opera Composition Competition. He also received the 2022 Adams-Owens Composition Award by the African-American Art Song Alliance. Ragland has received the 2021 American Prize in Composition, two Telly Awards, and two Midsouth Regional EMMY nominations for his work as composer and audio engineer of Nashville Opera’s ONE VOTE WON -an opera commemorating the centennial of Women's Suffrage.
Learn more about Dave and his work here!
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Carlos Simon is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, whose music ranges from concert music for large and small ensembles to film scores with influences of jazz, gospel, and neo-romanticism. Simon is the Composer-in-Residence for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the inaugural Boston Symphony Orchestra Composer Chair, and was nominated for a 2023 GRAMMY award for his album Requiem for the Enslaved.
Learn more about Carlos and his work here!
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Jessie Montgomery, Musical America’s 2023 Composer of the Year, is a GRAMMY-winning, acclaimed composer, violinist, and educator whose music interweaves classical music with elements of vernacular music, improvisation, poetry, and social consciousness, making her an acute interpreter of twenty-first century American sound and experience. Her profoundly felt works have been described as “turbulent, wildly colorful and exploding with life” (The Washington Post) and are performed regularly by leading orchestras and ensembles around the world. In July 2021, she began a three-year appointment as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead Composer-in-Residence.
Learn more about Jessie and her work here!
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GRAMMY®-nominated for his latest solo album "Lord, How Come Me Here?"—a collection of reimagined Negro spirituals—and named one of the 2023 Musical America Top 30 Professionals of the Year, Nigerian-American composer Shawn E. Okpebholo's music resonates globally, earning widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. The press has described his music as "devastatingly beautiful" and "fresh and new and fearless" (Washington Post), "affecting" (New York Times), "lyrical, complex, singular" (The Guardian), "searing" (Chicago Tribune), "dreamy, sensual" (Boston Globe), and "powerful" (BBC Music Magazine). Okpebholo has garnered numerous accolades, including awards from The Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Prize in Composition, the Music Publishers Association, ASCAP, and was awarded the Inaugural honoree of the Leslie Adams-Robert Owens Composition Award.
Learn more about Shawn and his work here!
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Jasmine Arielle Barnes (September 28, 1991) is an Emmy award winning composer and acclaimed vocalist who has performed and has had
her music performed worldwide. Her music has been described as “precisely imagined” by the Washington Post, “refreshing…engaging…exciting” by San Francisco Classical Voice, "memorable" by Houston Press, and “the best possible blend of Billie Holiday and Claude Debussy” by Boston Globe. She is a multifaceted composer who embraces any writing style of music using a variety of instrumentation and specializes in writing for the voice.
Learn more about Jasmine and her work here!
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Joel Thompson is a composer, conductor, pianist, and educator whose works aim to prioritize community and facilitate connection, while creating music that is “alive and inquisitive, in constant dialogue” (Arts ATL) and “one of the most attractive things one has heard” (New York Classical Review). His work is both powerful and incisive in centering the concerns and desires of the voiceless and historically marginalized. Thompson currently serves as Houston Grand Opera’s first ever full-time Composer-in-Residence, holding a five-year residency that commenced in 2022.
Learn more about Joel and his work here!
JOIN US FOR THE BLACKNIFICENT 7!
Single tickets for this event are on sale now through the Alberta Rose Theatre. Doors will open at 1:30pm, with the program starting at 2pm. For full event information, including the programmed works, visit the event page linked here.
WHAT: THE BLACKNIFICENT 7
WHEN: Sunday, November 17th | 2:00 PM
WHERE: Alberta Rose Theatre | 3000 NE Alberta St | Portland, OR | 97211
Read about this event by clicking here, or get your tickets below!
Oregon Premiere of Damien Geter’s Cantata for a more Hopeful Tomorrow
Damien Geter - composer and long-time Resonance collaborator | photo by R. Hadiashar
On Sunday, November 17, Resonance Ensemble will present the Oregon premiere of Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow, a poignant five-movement work by composer and longtime Resonance collaborator, Damien Geter. The work reflects on the challenges and resiliency of Black communities during the recent pandemic, masterfully setting texts from traditional spirituals, landmark writers, and words from living artists.
Composer Damien Geter shares more about his Cantata in this short interview with Resonance Ensemble
Originally commissioned by The Washington Chorus in 2020, Geter shares “It is a fact that the pandemic has touched the Black community in a much more aggressive manner than other communities…2020 [was] a tough year. Not only because of the pandemic but because of the various other traumas that have been continuously inflicted on the Black community and our world at large…Even though things may seem tough in the present moment, there is a light that shines towards the future.”
Featuring soprano Nicole Greenidge Joseph and Oregon Symphony principal cellist Nancy Ives as soloists, the Cantata is inspired by J.S. Bach's Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (BWV 12), masterfully blending spirituals with Western classical music traditions. This Oregon premiere of the Cantata will be conducted by Katherine FitzGibbon.
Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon and cello soloist Nancy Ives
Soprano soloist Nicole Greenidge Joseph.
A. Mimi Sei - writer, activist, and Resonance board member
Throughout the first movement, Geter intertwines Salomo Franck's original text with that of librettist Megan Levad, centering the music around Bach's passacaglia. The second movement, Prayer, features a beautiful arrangement of the spiritual I Want Jesus to Walk with Me.
In the third movement, Breathe, Geter draws from the powerful words of Resonance board member and writer A. Mimi Sei, offering a message of endurance: "Go back to the parts of you that house ambitions. Where you’ll find your glory, The drive to endure. Learn again to just breathe."
The fourth movement, Resolve, offers a stirring arrangement of There's a Balm in Gilead/By and By, leading into the final movement, Hope.
This last movement sets Walt Whitman’s “Continuities,” promising: “Nothing is ever really lost, or can be lost…."
In addition to Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow, the concert will feature works by all seven members of The Blacknificent 7—a composer collective of leading composers, including Geter, Jessie Montgomery, Dave Ragland, Jasmine Barnes, Shawn Okpebholo, Carlos Simon, and Joel Thompson—each piece showcasing a unique voice to this powerful celebration of Black artistry and musical innovation. The concert will also feature the world premiere of a new composition by Dave Ragland—check out our next blog post for more on this exciting work!
TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT ARE ON SALE NOW!
WHAT: THE BLACKNIFICENT 7
WHEN: Sunday, November 17th | 2:00 PM
WHERE: Alberta Rose Theatre | 3000 NE Alberta St | Portland, OR | 97211
Read about this event by clicking here, or get your tickets below!
THREE CHOIRS, FULL ORCHESTRA, ONE VISION: RESONANCE NOVA
Over 100 musicians join forces for a concert of groundbreaking musical works as a catalyst for change
PORTLAND, OR – The newly-renamed Orchestra Nova Northwest and the award-winning Resonance Ensemble come together for the first time to present RESONANCE NOVA, a program featuring three groundbreaking works advocating for global change, by acclaimed composers Margaret Bonds, Caroline Shaw, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Conducted by Steven Byess, Katherine FitzGibbon, and Shohei Kobayashi, these performances will take place on Saturday, March 15th at Reynolds High School Auditorium and on Sunday, March 16th at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts.
“With our relaunch this past July as Orchestra Nova Northwest, we are excited to enter a fresh chapter for our 41-year-old ensemble, a chapter focused on expanding the scope of orchestral music—both in terms of what it encompasses and who it’s for,” says Executive Director of ONN, Kevin Irving. “Resonance Ensemble, with their mission of fostering socially relevant and transformative artistic experiences, is the ideal partner for these meaningful concerts.”
The first half of the program features Caroline Shaw’s haunting work To the Hands, amplifying contemporary refugee crises, and Margaret Bonds’s Credo, setting a stirring text by W.E.B. Du Bois.
“The Bonds has only recently experienced a surge in performances, so it is an honor to be part of its growing legacy,” says Kobayashi, Associate Conductor for Resonance Ensemble. “The text by DuBois speaks to a lot of issues we still grapple with today—war, racial equality, and social status. It remains deeply relevant.”
Katherine FitzGibbon, Resonance Ensemble & Lewis and Clark Capella Nova
Stephen Byess, Orchestra Nova Northwest
Shohei Kobayashi, Resonance Ensemble and Reed College Collegium Musicum
On the second half of the program, choirs from Lewis & Clark College and Reed College will join Resonance Ensemble and Orchestra Nova Northwest for Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Dona nobis pacem (Latin for 'grant us peace')—a powerful work for chorus, orchestra, and soloists. Written as a plea for peace amid the aftermath of past wars and the looming threat of new ones, the combined forces of over 100 musicians will create an unforgettable and moving musical experience.
“These concerts encapsulate the missions of both Resonance Ensemble and Orchestra Nova Northwest, and combines our forces into a performance that will envelop you in sound,” says Resonance Ensemble’s Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “In programming these three extraordinary musical works —both in their time and with renewed meaning today—we hope this concert will leave listeners inspired and full of hope.”
Single tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit novanw.org and resonancechoral.org.
Read more about the event here
WHEN & WHERE
Saturday, March 15th | 7:30 pm | Reynolds High School (Troutdale)
Sunday, March 16th | 2:00 pm | Patricia Reser Center for the Arts (Beaverton)
COST
Single tickets on sale through Orchestra Nova Northwest and the Reser. Tickets start at $35 with discounted tickets for students and Arts for All.
Note to Journalists: Katherine FitzGibbon, Shohei Kobayashi, Kevin Irving, Steven Byess, and featured guests are available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information on our season or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at liz@ohcreativepdx.com or by calling 971-212-8034.
Resonance Presents:“The Blacknificent 7”
RESONANCE ENSEMBLE OPENS 16TH SEASON WITH BLACKNIFICENT 7, SHOWCASING SEVEN OF TODAY’S LEADING BLACK COMPOSERS
September 27, 2024 – Portland, OR – On Sunday, November 17, 2024 Resonance Ensemble presents a concert featuring works from the collective of leading Black composers known as The Blacknificent 7. Curated by long-time Resonance collaborator Damien Geter, this afternoon of vocal music will showcase compositions by Geter, Jasmine Barnes, Jessie Montgomery, Shawn Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, Carlos Simon, and Joel Thompson. The program will also include the world premiere of a Resonance commission Seven Prayers: Hope for Everyone, by Ragland, who will also be in attendance. This one-afternoon-only event takes place at the Alberta Rose Theatre.
“Blacknificent 7 represents some of the most innovative voices working in classical music today,” says Resonance Ensemble Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “Like Resonance, these award-winning composers are passionate about using music to further the cause of social justice. We’re excited to share this phenomenal music with listeners in our region.”
The concert will be conducted by FitzGibbon and Resonance Artistic Advisor Shohei Kobayashi and will feature the Oregon premiere of Geter’s Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow, with soprano Nicole Greenidge Joseph and Oregon Symphony principal cellist Nancy Ives.
Nicole Greenidge Joseph, Soprano Soloist
Nancy Ives, Cello
Dave Ragland, Commissioned Composer
Geter shares, “My Cantata pays homage to Black Americans by incorporating spirituals within a framework inspired by Bach’s cantatas. It begins in a deep state of despair and moves emotionally upward towards a state of hope... Even though things may seem tough now, there is a light that shines toward the future.”
The program will also feature the world premiere of Seven Prayers: Hope for Everyone, a new Resonance commission by Dave Ragland. Ragland, a four-time EMMY-nominated composer, will attend the performance and participate in a post-concert panel discussion, offering audiences a chance to hear directly from the composer about his inspiration and process. He describes Seven Prayers as "a series of reflections on life and hope, drawing from voices across the U.S. to celebrate the resilience of the human spirit."
Tickets are on sale now. For tickets click here, for more information on the concert, click here.
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Single Tickets Now On Sale!
Single Tickets for Resonance Ensemble’s
2023-24 Season On Sale Today!
For the past 16 years, Resonance Ensemble has brought extraordinary, meaningful music to Portland’s artistic scene, reflecting on the most pressing social issues of our times. This season promises to be no exception.
Resonance Ensemble's 16th season promises a phenomenal lineup, featuring some of today's most brilliant musicmakers. Featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, as well as newly commissioned works from Cecille Elliott, Dave Ragland, and Kenji Bunch—there is no doubt about it — this season is packed with impact.
Single tickets are now on sale for these four concerts:
THE BLACKNIFICENT 7 — NOVEMBER 17, 2024
Damien Geter curates this concert of vocal music by a collective of leading Black composers known as the Blacknificent 7.
CHOIR GRRRL — FEBRUARY 8, 2025
This Portland-infused collaborative extravaganza features everyone playing everyone’s music together–and you’re invited to join in, too.
RESONANCE NOVA—MARCH 15 & 16, 2025
Presented in partnership with Orchestra Nova Northwest, this concert will bring over 100 musicianstogether to perform 3 groundbreaking musical works as a catalyst for change.
WE ARE STILL HERE — JUNE 1, 2025
Presented in partnership with Vanport Mosaic, this site-specific afternoon of music, theatre, and dance will reclaim and heal the original site of the “Portland Assembly Center”—now the EXPO Center —where nearly 4,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated.
Don’t miss a single note of it.
Buy Your Tickets Today — Before They're Gone!
You make it all possible.
On June 30th, Resonance Ensemble closes the books on our 15th season. Thanks to your support, we’ve reached incredible milestones. From collaborations with world-class artists to deeply moving community celebrations, you made it all possible.
You made it possible to host Grammy-winning baritone Kenneth Overton, surrounded by the vibrant works on display in the Black Artists of Oregon exhibit (curated by Intisar Abioto) at the Portland Art Museum
You enabled us to commission the world premiere of “From the Book of Sankofa,” a new work by Darrell Grant with poetry by A. Mimi Sei.
You supported the community connection to trailblazing activists like Taylor Stewart, the visionary force behind the Oregon Remembrance Project.
You helped us celebrate composers in film at the Hollywood Theatre.
And dream of dreams, you helped bring Sweet Honey in the Rock to us for two nights of unforgettable music and a new friendship that will continue.
You helped us celebrate our anniversary with a concert of Resonance commissions, which we are taking to the studio to record for audiences worldwide.
You helped us do all of that and more. On behalf of the Resonance Ensemble Board of Directors and staff, we thank you for your ongoing support and ask you to consider making your gift to Resonance today so that we can continue this incredible work.
Will you contribute $5, $10, $50, $100, or ANY amount to help us reach our goal of $7,500? Every dollar counts and will directly impact our ability to bring new works to life. To donate today:
Support our Kickstarter.
Mail your donation to Resonance Ensemble at 3121 South Moody Avenue #130, Portland, Oregon, 97239 (postmark by June 30)
Call (503) 427-8701 to donate over the phone
With love,
The Resonance Team
Kathy, Damien, Shohei, Liz, and Kim
Resonance Ensemble’s Second Album Launches on Kickstarter
“This album showcases artists who, through their incredible music and poetry, share the stories that matter to them.”
PORTLAND, OR — June 20, 2024 — Following the successful debut of their first album LISTEN in 2023, Resonance Ensemble announces their upcoming release, SAFE HARBOR. This album features 12 Resonance commissions, all inspired by themes of sanctuary, resilience, and hope. The featured composers and poets include Jasmine Barnes, Kenji Bunch, James DePreist, Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, Cecille Elliott, Damien Geter, Darrell Grant, Joe Kye, S. Renee Mitchell, Kimberly R. Osberg, Judy A. Rose, A. Mimi Sei, Sonya Renee Taylor, Mari Esabel Valverde, and Vin Shambry.
The release of SAFE HARBOR comes as the ensemble celebrates the closing of its 15th anniversary season, most recently with their MISSION15 concert that offered a preview of the album. The recording will feature 24 singers and instrumentalists, including flutist Adam Eccleston; soloists Onry, Cecille Elliott, and Nicole Greenidge Joseph; cellist Valdine Mishkin; and many other artists with ties to the Pacific Northwest. The album is conducted by Katherine FitzGibbon, Shohei Kobayashi, and Damien Geter.
FitzGibbon shares her excitement for the project: “Over the years, Resonance has commissioned dozens of musical compositions, poems, and other works of art, showcasing artists who, through their incredible music, share the stories that matter to them. We are thrilled to share SAFE HARBOR so that this music can reach and inspire audiences worldwide.”
Today officially marks the launch of their Kickstarter campaign, aimed at funding the production costs associated with the album. Backers pledging their support will unlock a range of rewards, including advance copies of the album, tickets to upcoming concerts, invitations to private performances, and more.
Resonance Ensemble is celebrated for their music that uplifts communities, addresses pressing social issues, and contributes to the evolution of classical music. With SAFE HARBOR, they continue to champion innovative voices and present compelling new works that embody their unwavering commitment to mission-driven art.
For more information about the album and how to become a backer, please visit their Kickstarter campaign page here or contact Resonance at resonancechoral.org.
ANNOUNCING SEASON 16: A Vocal Force for Impact
Featuring new works by Dave Ragland & Cecille Elliott, performances by Caroline Shaw, Danni Parpan, Nancy Ives
Resonance Ensemble announces its sixteenth season, A VOCAL FORCE FOR IMPACT. For the past 16 years, Resonance Ensemble has brought exceptional performances of meaningful new music to Portland’s artistic scene, reflecting on the most pressing social issues of our times. Now, with four large-scale productions reaching audiences across Portland, this award-winning choir continues to champion compelling voices sharing their stories. From confronting hard truths and honoring beloved composer collectives, to hosting a jam session featuring some of today’s most brilliant music makers—including Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw—our season is packed with impact.
“We are thrilled to be working once again with such phenomenal artists and organizations,” says Resonance Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “This season is filled with a deep and varied array of projects. Audiences will experience the work of beloved longtime collaborators alongside artists we've always dreamed of working with.”
Damien Geter curates the season opener this November, with a special array of vocal works by Blacknificent 7 – an incredible array of leading Black composers – including Jasmine Barnes, Jessie Montgomery, Shawn Okhepholo, Dave Ragland, Carlos Simon, Joel Thompson, and Geter himself. “These are some of the most exceptional, accomplished composers working today,” says Geter. “I can’t wait for Portland to experience their music.” The concert will include the world premiere of a new Resonance commission by Dave Ragland, as well as the Oregon premiere of Geter’s Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow, with cellist Nancy Ives.
In February, Resonance’s treble singers join forces with the innovative talents of Ringdown – Caroline Shaw and Danni Lee – and Resonance-favorite Cecille Elliott for CHOIR GRRRLS—part community jam session and part celebration, this concert will feature boundary-pushing new works by these fiery voices.
In March, Resonance and the Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra harness the immense power of music in addressing global conflicts. Another major work by Caroline Shaw, “To the Hands,” rounds out a program featuring Margaret Bonds’s Credo and Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Dona nobis pacem. The fine student chamber choirs of Lewis & Clark College and Reed College will join Resonance voices for the Vaughan Williams.
To conclude the season, Resonance Ensemble joins Vanport Mosaic, writer Chisao Hata, and survivors of Japanese-American incarceration and their descendants, to acknowledge the little-known history of the Portland Expo Center and honor the survival and persistence of Japanese Americans in our region. Associate conductor Shohei Kobayashi will lead musical performances, interspersed with theatrical performances written by Hata.
Don’t miss a single note of it. Read more about each of the season’s programs below, or visit this link to purchase your subscription. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, October 1.
THE BLACKNIFICENT 7
THE BLACKNIFICENT 7
Sunday, November 17th | 2pm | @Alberta Rose Theatre
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.
CHOIR GRRRL
CHOIR GRRRL
Saturday, February 8th | 7:30pm | @Aladdin Theater
A concert celebrating phenomenal women working as composer/performers in Portland today.
Resonance treble singers join forces with the innovative talents of Ringdown—a new group featuring collaborators Caroline Shaw and Danni Lee. Described as an electronic cinematic pop duo, between the two of them they have a Pulitzer Prize, several Grammys, and a “Best Drum Major” Award.
The program will also feature a world premiere commission by Resonance-favorite, Cecille Elliott.
RESONANCE NOVA
RESONANCE NOVA
WITH PORTLAND COLUMBIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Saturday, March 15th | 7:30pm | Reynolds High School (Troutdale)
Sunday, March 16th | 2:00pm | Patricia Reser Center for the Arts (Beaverton)
Resonance Ensemble and the Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra collaborate to present Music of Peace and Justice, with the Margaret Bonds’ Credo, Caroline Shaw’s To the Hands, and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona nobis pacem.
Featuring special guests Lewis & Clark Cappella Nova Choir and Reed Collegium Musicum.
WE’RE STILL HERE
WE’RE STILL HERE
CO-PRESENTATION WITH VANPORT MOSAIC
Saturday, May 31st | 7:30pm | @Portland Expo Center
Resonance Ensemble joins Vanport Mosaic, artist Chisao Hata, and survivors of Japanese-American incarceration and their descendants, to acknowledge the little-known history of the Portland Expo Center and honor the survival and persistence of Japanese Americans in our region.
As part of the 10th Vanport Mosaic Festival, this event will activate the former WWII-era assembly center with historical photographs and video projections, a communal altarpiece, and musical and theatrical offerings — including new site-specific works conceived by Hata.
In tandem with Vanport Mosaic’s celebration of a decade of memory activism, this evening will be recorded for an ongoing digital memorial as we aim to recognize and ring out the whole of this space in sound, word, movement, and song.
Single tickets will go on sale October 1st, but subscription packages are available today!
Click here to explore the available options for this season.
Note to Journalists: Katherine FitzGibbon, Shohei Kobayashi, Damien Geter, and featured guests are available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information on our season or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at liz@resonancechoral.org or by calling 971-212-8034
FURTHER READING
RESONANCE ENSEMBLE
About Resonance Ensemble | About Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon
About Associate Conductor Shohei Kobayashi | About Artistic Advisor Damien Geter
CO-PRESENTING PARTNERS
About Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra | About Vanport Mosaic
FEATURED ARTISTS
About Ringdown | About Caroline Shaw | About Danni Lee
About Dave Ragland | About Chisao Hata | About Cecille Elliott
15for15 - Reflecting on 15 years
All photos in this post are by Rachel Hadiashar unless otherwise noted
As we finalize preparations for our 15th anniversary celebration concert, MISSION15, we share 15 highlights from across Resonance Ensemble’s history. From collaborations with artists and ensembles to powerful moments with community partners, these significant milestones in Resonance Ensemble's journey have all led us to this weekend’s landmark performance. Below are 15 of our favorite memories that have helped shaped our story.
Join us THIS SATURDAY to help us make our next favorite memory!
One of Resonance Ensemble’s early concerts, Music & Memory featured a program that highlighted music in dialogue with Thérèse Murdza's visual art in 2011 at Lewis & Clark College.
This 2022 photoshoot with Rachel Hadiashar showcased the incredible treble-voice artists featured in our program on bodily autonomy, We Dissent.
A few of the remarkable individuals who comprised the African American Requiem Advisory Council, helping Resonance ensure this important work achieved maximum reach both in Portland and beyond.
Kathy conducts Resonance and the incredible Venerable Showers of Beauty Gamelon ensemble in our 2014 program, GONGS + SONGS at Reed College. (If you look closely, you can see one of our favorite journalists, Brett Campbell!)
This photo captures a poignant moment of Kathy, conducting the choir while pregnant with her firstborn son, Will, marking the intertwining of personal milestones with the ensemble's journey. Resonance was preparing for a program at Portland State University.
This image showcases two of our most passionate supporters, our esteemed poet-in-residence, S. Renee Mitchell, and Shauna Adams, captured after the 2018 program BODIES at Alberta House (formerly Cerimon House).
At Portland State University, singers Ben Kinkley (right) and Cecily Kiester (middle) share a lighthearted moment next to Erik Hundtoft (left).
This image exemplifies Resonance's commitment to fostering authentic relationships with our community partners. Here, Debra Porta, executive director of Pride Northwest, shakes hands with Kathy during our 2018 program, BODIES, on which we partnered.
We cherish our volunteers! Meet Roger Robinson, one of our original supporters, captured before our 2010 program, The Witching Hour, at Lewis & Clark College. Roger represents the dedication and support of many of our original backers who played a vital role in helping Resonance find its wings and soar.
The remarkable John Stuber accompanies Resonance on the piano during the Blessed Unions program in 2012, which once again showcased artwork by Thérèse Murdza.
Resonance collaborates with the Portland Chamber Orchestra for a stirring performance of The Monster, under the baton of the late Maestro Yaacov Bergman in 2011.
Dinah Dodds, who we dearly miss, and whose legacy left a profound impact on Resonance Ensemble’s dedication to commissioning new work, captured at a 2018 fundraiser held in the exquisite Giltner House.
Las Matices Latin Ensemble collaborated with Resonance for the world premiere of Freddy Vilches’ Abya Yala in 2022, showcasing a diverse array of instruments, some of which they made themselves!
Shohei Kobayashi joins Katherine FitzGibbon, marking the start of Shohei’s inaugural season as associate conductor and co-artistic advisor!
No party like a Resonance Ensemble party! This festive photoshoot captured Rachel Hadiashar at Oh! Creative Studio brought together commissioned artists S. Renee Mitchell, Cecille Elliott, Kimberly R. Osberg, Freddy Vilches, Joe Kye, and Judy A. Rose to help us celebrate our 15th birthday in style!
JOIN US FOR THE BIRTHDAY BASH!
MISSION 15
Saturday, June 8, 2024
7:30 PM
@Winningstad Theater
