Over 150 Musicians Unite in a Powerful Call for Peace
“The coolest collab concert of the season” features over 150 musicians—including five choirs—Uniting in a powerful call for peace showcasing works by Bonds, Shaw, and Vaughan Williams
“We invite all to join us for this weekend of performances, where this powerful music will inspire hope and collective action.”
FEB 12, 2025 - On Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16 the newly renamed Orchestra Nova Northwest joins the award-winning Resonance Ensemble for RESONANCE NOVA—hailed as “the coolest collab concert of the season” (Oregon Live).
Adding to the more than 100 musicians already taking the stage, singers from two additional choirs have joined the roster, bringing even greater power to this call for peace, resilience, and justice.
Inspired by struggles for justice and peace, the program features three groundbreaking works by acclaimed composers Margaret Bonds, Caroline Shaw, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Conducted by Steven Byess, Katherine FitzGibbon, and Shohei Kobayashi, over 150 musicians join forces from six ensembles: Resonance Ensemble, Orchestra Nova Northwest, Lewis & Clark College’s Cappella Nova, Reed College’s Collegium Musicum, and, most recently, invited singers from the Portland Phoenix Chamber Choir and the Choral Arts Ensemble of Portland.
Conductors Shohei Kobayashi, Katherine FitzGibbon, and Steven Byess during a recent site visit at the Reser.
“These three works not only call for peace in our world, but urge each of us to be a force for peace, justice, and empathy in our own communities,” shares Resonance Ensemble’s Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “We invite all to join us for this weekend of performances, where this powerful music will inspire hope and collective action.”
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 program concludes with Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem (Latin for “grant us peace”)—a powerful work for chorus, orchestra, and soloists Nicole Greenidge Joseph (soprano) and Wayne Arthur (baritone).
Written as a plea for peace amid the aftermath of past wars and the looming threat of new ones, the combined forces of five choirs and full orchestra will create an unforgettable and moving musical experience.
“We believe this program holds deep significance for our region’s communities,” shares Kevin Irving. “That’s why we’ve chosen to bring this powerful performance to both sides of the Willamette, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to experience its message of unity and hope.”
Single tickets on sale through Orchestra Nova Northwest and the Reser. Tickets start at $35 with discounted tickets for students and Arts for All. For more information, visit resonancechoral.org and novanw.org.
Resonance Ensemble and Orchestra Nova Northwest Present: RESONANCE NOVA
WHEN & WHERE
Saturday, March 15th | 7:30 pm | Reynolds High School (Troutdale)
Sunday, March 16th | 3:00 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.
Post-Concert Reflection: CHOIR GRRRL
This past weekend, Resonance Ensemble delivered a one-night-only performance that showcased the brilliance of three trailblazing artists in an interactive, boundary-pushing program celebrating the power of women in music.
Under the direction of Katherine FitzGibbon, the Resonance treble singers joined forces with Ringdown—a duo featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw and multi-instrumentalist Danni Lee—along with composer and performer Cecille Elliott, who premiered her latest commissioned work with Resonance, It’s So Quietly. The evening was a testament to bold artistry and collaboration, leaving a lasting impact on all who attended. Today, we share some of our favorite moments from this unforgettable night, accompanied by photos from Rachel Hadiashar.
Resonance treble singers enter the hall singing Judy A. Rose’s work, Ode to the Wind
The night began with Ode to the Wind by Portland-based composer Judy A. Rose. In the program notes, the composer shares her hope that we may “understand at some level, someday, that we are all affected and connected to all the earth…” Resonance vocalists entered the hall from the back, surrounding the audience in an immersive soundscape that set the tone for the evening.
Ringdown and Cecille Elliott each presented a work of their own. Ringdown’s signature blend of heavy synths, vocoders, and soaring harmonies—anchored by the duos ethereal vocals and tight harmonies—contrasted beautifully with Cecille Elliott’s evocative solo performance, where she layered her voice and guitar with a loop pedal to create a mesmerizing sonic landscape.
Cecille shares a laugh with the tech crew during our soundcheck for the show
We Need Earth by Renée Favand-See, showcased soloists Lisa Neher (mezzo), Vakare Petroliunaite (soprano), and Madeline Ross (soprano). Their voices intertwined in an ethereal and powerful call to action, using the words of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, to highlight the importance of environmental awareness through her space exploration experience.
From our performance of When the Dust Settles by Mari Esabel Valverde
A particularly poignant moment of the night was the performance of When the Dust Settles. The work has proven especially timely given the current political climate in which trans rights are under increasing threat. Despite having performed it at our last concert, the urgency of the moment made it essential to reaffirm our support for the trans community (read more about this work in our last blog post). With text by poet Amir Rabiyah and music by Mari Esabel Valverde, this powerful piece honors the resilience and joy of the trans community, inspired by the life and activism of Miss Major Griffen-Gracy. The treble voices of Resonance filled the space with soaring harmonies, bringing the words to life in a moment of unity and celebration:
“...in glorious proclamation we will let everyone know— We are still here! We are still here!”
The concert continued with the world premiere of Cecille Elliott’s It’s So Quietly, an intimate piece that featured several solos by Kathleen Hollingsworth (mezzo), Rebecca Guderian (soprano), Kristen Buhler (alto) and even featured Caroline Shaw. Paired with Shaw’s It’s So Quietly, which closed the first half, the two works together created a mesmerizing moment of stillness and reflection.
Katherine FitzGibbon introduces the next pieces from the stage as a packed house watches on.
Director Katherine FitzGibbon commands the choir
The second half of the program featured more works by Shaw and Ringdown, as well as Cecille Elliott’s Breathe. Elliott commanded the stage - and the audience - leading everyone in a stirring singalong over ever-increasing loops of accompaniment on vocals, guitar, and body percussion by Elliott.
Cecille Elliott leads the audience through her work “Breathe”
Danni Lee sparks joy during the post-concert panel with Cecille Elliott, Caroline Shaw, and Katherine FitzGibbon.
The evening’s final piece, My Turn by Ringdown, saw all performers from the evening coming together on stage - including guest composers Favand-See and Rose - in a powerful conclusion that left audiences on their feet.
The concert was more than a showcase of talent—it was a celebration of community and connectedness, uniting Portland to honor the contributions of femme composers.
WERE YOU AT THE ALADDIN WITH US? TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AT CHOIR GRRRL!
Fill out our survey with your name & email for your chance to win two tickets to our upcoming program: RESONANCE NOVA
UP NEXT FOR RESONANCE ENSEMBLE
Following this remarkable night, we look ahead to what’s next! Our upcoming concert, Resonance Nova!
SATURDAY, MARCH 15 | 7:30 PM | REYNOLDS H.S.
SUNDAY, MARCH 16 | 3:00 PM | PATRICIA RESER CENTER
Featuring over 100 musicians joining forces to promote peace in our world through the works of Margaret Bonds, Caroline Shaw, and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
When the Dust Settles—Resonance Community Bands Together to Bring Timely & Powerful Work Back to Portland
Tickets for this event are still available
This week, Resonance Ensemble is preparing for CHOIR GRRRL—a celebration of world-class artists from our region and beyond, happening at the Aladdin Theatre on Saturday, February 8th. As we finalized preparations earlier this month, a chaotic slew of executive orders reigned down, targeting vulnerable communities across the political spectrum. As a choir that programs music to promote meaningful social change, many of these recent orders stand antithetical to the work and community we strive to foster—and directly harm many of the artists we regularly collaborate with. The Resonance team felt especially moved to show our solidarity with our trans collaborators and friends, who have been disproportionately targeted throughout history—and especially so in recent months.
Our minds immediately went to Mari Esabel Valverde's poignant and deeply moving work, When the Dust Settles - which audiences may remember from our We Dissent program in 2022.
Resonance Ensemble treble voices | Rachel Hadiashar
“your heart bigger than any cage
even in the midst of so much loss
you remind us to dream
to hold tomorrow between our lips
we deserve to kiss without fear
to grow old
to sway our hips
to wear what we wish
to relish in the pleasure of our bodies
the seeds you planted continue to grow
into blooming song”
ABOUT “WHEN THE DUST SETTLES”
The work is a powerful assertion of trans identity and joy. Queer, trans, mixed race, disabled, poet and educator Amir Rabiyah wrote the text especially for this collaboration with Mari, in honor of Miss Major Griffen-Gracy—a former grass roots organizer and lifelong transgender and intersex rights activist from coast to coast, as well as a “veteran” of the Stonewall Riots.
Mari’s lush setting of the text also embodies both Miss Major’s strong & powerful resilience, along with her warmth and tenderheartedness. The composer shares in her program note: Hearing her speak today, you would not perceive within her voice the years of surviving our historically transphobic, racist, and often violent systems of oppression. And, her fight to liberate her trans and queer descendants continues. At age 78, she has opened the House of GG, the Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat and Historical Center for the transgender and gender non-conforming Community, in Little Rock, Arkansas. For more information please visit: https://HouseOfGG.org…#WeAreStillHere #StaySoft.
The gorgeous harmonies of the treble voices and thick piano lines build to a transcendent peak, before unifying the voices together for the work’s final decree:
“when the dust settles, we will raise our voices
just as you have always done, in glorious proclamation
we will let everyone know—
We are still here!
We are still here!”
With this powerful work in hand, we knew that now more than ever we wanted to share this message with our audiences.
However, we had a barrier: our current program did not use piano, and this work absolutely needed one to work. How could we raise the funds in time for this program, especially in a time when so much financial support for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives were being stripped away—particularly those dealing with trans lives?
We reached out to our community of season subscribers last week, sharing our situation and our deep desire to bring this powerful piece back to Portland at such a pivotal time. The response was beyond heartwarming.
Not only did we raise enough to cover the expense of the piece, but the words of support we received reminded us of the kind of community we’re part of: compassionate, generous, and radically loving.
Artistic Director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon with Pride NW director Debra Porta from our BODIES program in 2018 | Kenton Waltz
We would like to thank the donors from our community who made this piece possible for our program this week:
Laurie Flint
Jerry Fong
Allison Ellsworth
Nancy Ives
Shohei Kobayashi
DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WITNESS THIS POWERFUL WORK—ALONG WITH A WHOLE PROGRAM OF WORLD-CLASS FEMME CREATORS FROM OUR REGION & BEYOND!
CHOIR GRRRL
Saturday, February 8th | 7:30pm | Aladdin Theatre
Featuring: Caroline Shaw, Ringdown (Caroline Shaw & Danni Lee Parpan), Cecille Elliott, Hannah Brewer, and the treble voices of Resonance Ensemble led by Katherine FitzGibbon.
Choir GRRRL:Why You Should Join Us.
What makes Choir GRRRL a must-see?
Let’s break it down.
REASON #1: Ringdown
This “electronic cinematic pop duo” pairs Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw with the “dynamite” multi-instrumentalist Danni Lee in a collaboration that defies genres. Described by Oregon ArtsWatch as “a definite peanut butter and chocolate situation,” their music blends soaring vocals, cutting-edge synths, and inventive arrangements. For this performance, they’re debuting newly expanded arrangements with our treble voices, offering a first-ever opportunity to hear their work reimagined with choral textures. Ringdown is at the forefront of innovation—we are all fortunate they call Portland home!
REASON #2: Cecille Elliott
Fresh off her world tour with Lyyra, (an elite six-voice women’s ensemble with the VOCES8 Foundation), singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Cecille Elliott joins Resonance to unveil the world premiere of her new work, It's So Quiet, along with a solo set of original compositions. Portland audiences may best remember her from her Resonance-commissioned piece, We Are Murmurs, the standout work for quintet voices that premiered in 2023 and received multiple revival performances throughout the season.
REASON #3: The bad-ass treble voices of Resonance, conducted by Katherine FitzGibbon
Our Choir GRRRLs have earned glowing reviews for their “masterful blend” and breathtaking unisons (Oregon ArtsWatch) and will provide a powerful foundation for the evening with Ringdown and Elliott, as well as performing spotlighted new works by two more Portland composers Judy A. Rose and Renee Favand-See.
But really, it all boils down to ONE reason
For ONE NIGHT ONLY, some of the most amazing women artists in town are gathering their voices for a night of community music-making at one of the most historic and beautiful spaces in town. Don't miss it. Reserve your seat today.
“We want this event to feel like a one-of-a-kind jam session that fuses pop, electronic, and choral music, like you’re in a living room with Caroline Shaw, Danni Lee, Cecille Elliott, and the Resonance treble singers – all incredible multi-faceted artists.” —Katherine FitzGibbon, Conductor, Artistic Director
Resonance Presents: Choir GRRRL
A BOLD COLLABORATION WITH CAROLINE SHAW, DANNI LEE, & CECILLE ELLIOTT
An unforgettable evening of groundbreaking music, powerful voices, and dynamic collaboration at the Aladdin Theatre.
“I’ve been in awe of Resonance’s musical gifts for a long time, and I have so much respect for what they bring to the community. When they suggested making something together along with Cecille Elliott, we were so excited to get to be a part of it. It’s a real honor, and we can’t wait to share the music with everyone at the Aladdin. ”
JANUARY 7, 2025 - PORTLAND, OR - On Saturday, February 8th, Resonance Ensemble presents Choir Grrrl at the historic Aladdin Theatre. This one-night-only performance brings together Resonance’s treble singers and three trailblazing artists for an interactive, boundary-pushing program that celebrates the power of women in music. Resonance is joined by Ringdown–a duo comprising Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw and multi-instrumentalist Danni Lee—and composer/performer Cecille Elliott who will premiere her latest commissioned work with Resonance.
Danni Lee. Photo by Karen Pride
“We named the program Choir Grrrl in honor of the Riot Grrrl movement, the feminist punk movement of the early 90s, because we envision that our program will also use genre-pushing music with these phenomenal artists to embody female empowerment,” shares Resonance Ensemble Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “We want this event to feel like a one-of-a-kind jam session that fuses pop, electronic, and choral music, like you’re in a living room with Caroline Shaw, Danni Lee, Cecille Elliott, and the Resonance treble singers – all incredible multi-faceted artists.”
The treble voices of Resonance have earned high praise, with Oregon ArtsWatch noting their “masterful blend” and breathtaking unisons, and will create a powerful foundation for the evening’s music. They’ll perform both backing vocals and spotlighted new works by the featured artists on the program, as well as Portland composers Judy A. Rose and Renee Favand-See and internationally-acclaimed composer Gabriela Lena Frank.
Caroline Shaw. Photo by Dayna Szyndrowski
Ringdown, an “electronic cinematic pop duo” featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw and the “dynamite” multi-instrumentalist Danni Lee, will perform their works alongside newly expanded arrangements. Lee was recently described by Oregon ArtsWatch as “a perfect complement to Shaw” and they are “a definite ‘peanut butter and chocolate’ situation.” Together, they bring a recently Grammy-nominated blend of artistry, innovation, and collaboration to the stage, creating an unforgettable musical experience that invites the audience into new sonic landscapes.
“I've been in awe of Resonance's musical gifts for a long time, and I have so much respect for what they bring to the community. When they suggested making something together along with Cecille Elliott, we were so excited to get to be a part of it. It's a real honor, and we can't wait to share the music with everyone at the Aladdin. .”
Cecille Elliott plays at a recent Resonance concert . Photo by Rachel Hadiashar
Elliott, whose We Are Murmurs captivated audiences at its 2023 Resonance premiere, will debut her latest creation, It’s So Quiet, as both vocalist and composer. A versatile musician specializing in voice, violin, and viola, Cecille has performed with Resonance since 2020. She will be joining the concert directly from a world tour with Lyyra, an elite 6-voice women’s ensemble with the VOCES8 Foundation , where she serves as low alto. Her recent debut with Lyyra has cemented her reputation as one of today’s most exciting and dynamic vocal talents.
“This incredible night of collaboration features everyone playing everyone’s music together–including a chance for audience members to join in the music-making themselves,” says FitzGibbon. “We are looking forward to creating something truly special for - and with - our community.”
This one-night only event will take place Saturday, February 8th at the Aladdin Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Tickets are on sale now here.
Ringdown: Danni Lee (l) + Caroline Shaw (r) Photo by Anja Schutz
TICKET & SHOW INFORMATION
CHOIR GRRRL
Saturday, February 8th | 7:30 pm
@Aladdin Theater
TICKET PRICING
General Admission: $40
Seniors / Students / Veterans: $20
Arts for All: $5 (at the door)
Note to Journalists: Katherine FitzGibbon, Ringdown, Cecille Elliott, 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
Concert Reflection: The Blacknificent 7
This past weekend, Resonance Ensemble shared a program of choral music by seven leading composers. The works, curated by Blacknificent 7 composer and long-time Resonance friend, Damien Geter, included the world premiere of a new work by Dave Ragland, and a rare opportunity to hear the choral music of this extraordinary collective in a single program. Today, we share some of our favorite moments from the program.
The choir began unconducted, performing Jasmine Barnes’ THE FALL
Opening the program, two works by Jasmine Barnes. While the first work, The Fall, features quick changes in mood, tempo, and a plethora of solo moments, Resonance performed the work unconducted—featuring soloists Madeline Ross, Cecille Elliott, and Shohei Kobayashi throughout the piece.
In Sometimes I Cry, Barnes shares a far more reflective tone, demanding ensemble precision and balance throughout as it builds to a large, climactic chord.
Audiences were moved to tears by the quietly powerful Affirmations by Carlos Simon, who hoped the work would encourage listeners to “speak well of themselves and to believe the best about who they are.” With powerful ensemble moments and lush harmonies, one highlight of this work included spoken moments by beloved composer and Resonance Ensemble performer, Judy A. Rose.
Judy A. Rose reading during AFFIRMATIONS by Carlos Simon
Nancy Ives and Nicole Greenidge Joseph performing LOISAIDA, MY LOVE by Jessie Montgomery
Katherne FitzGibbon leads the choir and cellist Nancy Ives during MEDITATION by Joel Thompson
Next, Resonance welcomed Oregon Symphony principal cellist Nancy Ives, and guest soprano soloist, Nicole Greenidge Joseph to the stage for a rendition of Jessie Montgomery’s Loisaida, My Love that brought the house down. With Joseph moving effortlessly between English and Spanish of the Bimbo Ravas text, and Ives artfully playing with the instrumental responses, listeners particularly enjoyed the wonderfully-connected interactions between the two performers.
Joel Thompson’s short work, Meditation, included another performance by Nancy Ives on cello, this time underneath the full force of the choral ensemble. The text, by Jacqueline Woodson, is short but packs a punch - particularly in the hands of such a master composer as Joel Thompson: Even the silence has a story to tell you. Just listen. Listen.
Dave Ragland introduces his new work, SEVEN PRAYERS: HOPE FOR EVERYONE
Without a doubt, one of the highlights of the program was the world premiere of a newly-commissioned work by B7 composer, Dave Ragland: Seven Prayers: Hope for Everyone. Setting reflections by “diverse individuals from across the United States,” the piece shares seven prayers of hope from thinkers from age 11 to “80-something.” Our audiences in Portland were especially pleased to see, in movement 5, words by our very own Joe Cantrell: We are the land, and we are water, and they are us. For we have come from land and water, and to them, we shall return.
Dave Ragland accepts a thunderous applause and standing ovation after his work
After intermission, the Resonance Ensemble treble voices took the stage with pianist Claire Forstman for a deeply-moving setting of Deep River by Shawn E. Okpebholo. Forstman wonderfully followed the intricate dynamic-shaping of the choir, led by conductor Shohei Kobayashi.
Claire Forstman performs alongside the Resonance treble voices, led by conductor Shohei Kobayashi
Again featuring our treble voices, Danse Africaine is a demanding work by Jessie Montgomery that proved to be an audience favorite. Setting a work by Langston Hughes, Montgomery masterfully text-paints the “low slow beating of the tom-toms” throughout the work as vocalists bounce and echo hocketing patterns of nonsense syllables under the text. Featuring soloist Maria Collinsworth, the work is at once energetic and mysterious, building to a short climactic gliss by the ensemble before settling back into a groove. The final push, starting at a much slower tempo than the rest of the piece and building into an increasingly faster frenzy, ended with a final gliss by the ensemble that elicited both cheers and laughter from the audience.
Nicole Greenidge Joseph hits a big note as Katherine FitzGibbon leads Resonance and cellist Nancy Ives during Damien Geter’s CANTATA FOR A MORE HOPEFUL TOMORROW.
Closing out the performance was the Oregon premiere of Damien Geter’s Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow, featuring Nicole Greenidge Joseph and Nancy Ives, as well as soloists Vakare Petroliunaite, Sarah Beaty, Shohei Kobayashi, and Kevin Walsh. Inspired by traditional African American spirituals and J.S. Bach’s Cantata, this five-movement work explores both despair and hope through its setting of traditional spiritual texts and texts by landmark writers like Walt Whitman, as well as by living writers like A. Mimi Sei. With the full force of Resonance Ensemble, the impeccable performances of the soloists, and the expert leading by Katherine FitzGibbon, the final note of the piece was received with an erupting of applause, cheers, and a standing ovation.
Katherine FitzGibbon, Dave Ragland, and Shohei Kobayashi during the post-concert panel
After the program, guest composer Dave Ragland and conductors Katherine FitzGibbon and Shohei Kobayashi spoke with audience members as part of a post-concert panel, discussing the commission, what the piece meant to Ragland now, as well as how one can keep hope alive in times of despair.
We are so grateful to the nearly 300 audience members who came to hear the performance at the Alberta Rose Theatre, sharing this special program of choral music with Resonance Ensemble. We will be sharing video recordings from the program in the coming months, so check back soon for more!
UP NEXT FOR RESONANCE | CHOIR GRRRL
WHAT | Resonance Ensemble treble voices are joined by Pulitzer-Prize winning composer and musician, Caroline Shaw + performances by Ringdown (Shaw/Danni Lee)—including new arrangements of their songs to include choir—and featuring a world premiere plus other original compositions by Cecille Elliott
WHEN | Saturday, February 8th, 2025 @7:30pm
WHERE | Aladdin Theatre
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.
