Let's talk about programming with purpose.

On June 30th, Resonance Ensemble closes its books on our 13th season. We have spent time over the last few weeks reflecting on where we are and where we want to go next. We share with you some of the ways we have grown into the organization we are today through the lens of our deepest core values: tangible connection, programming with purpose, and exceptional artistry.  

 Let’s talk about programming with purpose.

When you act with purpose, that intention shapes everything you do. Resonance has always dedicated itself fully to creating exceptional programs that bridge art forms and foster deeper connections with our community. We have dedicated our programming in recent years to amplify voices that have long been silenced, and to create spaces where complex issues can be highlighted, considered, and explored. From our concert programming and community partnerships, to our organizational structures and educational programs -- everything we do is driven by this.

We develop each concert’s theme in partnership with artists and nonprofit partners whose experiences shape the music we program and the new music we commission. Our concerts present challenging and diverse music, and highlight the phenomenal musicians of Resonance as well as poets, visual artists, composers, and collaborators.

Over the last year, programming with purpose has meant: 

• presenting a concert of works beautifully curated by Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake—the highly-regarded conductor of the Los Angeles vocal ensemble, Tonality—in our opening concert HOME. These works explored houselessness, refugee experiences, life as an immigrant, and–as Dr. Blake beautifully stated–how we “can be home for somebody.”

• Included in the HOME concert, was this performance by Vin Shambry, sharing his experiences with houselessness in Portland. His recent work with Alberta House reflects programming with purpose and we are honored to continue collaborating with him and everyone at Alberta House.

• commissioning new music by Chilean-born, Portland-based composer Freddy Vilches for our ABYA YALA concert. This program showcased the words, music, and visual art of indigenous artists from Portland and across the Pan-Americas. Vilches’ Abya Yala Choral Suite was performed both in Portland and at the Northwest American Choral Directors Association conference in Spokane, Washington.

• sharing, at long last,  the eagerly-anticipated world premiere of An African American Requiem by celebrated composer Damien Geter (Resonance’s Artistic Advisor), commissioned by Resonance Ensemble and performed jointly with the Oregon Symphony. In an effort to bring this work to as many listeners as possible, we were also proud to partner with All Classical Portland for the free syndication of this pivotal work.

• traveling to the nation’s capital to present the East Coast premiere of An African American Requiem at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC–collaborating with the Choral Arts Society and the NEWorks Philharmonic Orchestra for both the performance and the premiere recording.

Programming with purpose happens because of the support of our donors. We take care to pay our extraordinary musicians and artistic collaborators competitively, and we prioritize commissioning timely new works from composers and poets. We live our mission: programming with purpose. As we get closer to June 30 - the end of our fiscal year - we hope you will consider a donation to Resonance Ensemble.

Let’s talk about tangible connection.

On June 30th, Resonance Ensemble closes its books on our 13th season. We have spent time over the last few weeks reflecting on where we are and where we want to go next. We share with you some of the ways we have grown into the organization we are today through the lens of our deepest core values: tangible connection, programming with purpose, and exceptional artistry.

Let’s talk about tangible connection.

We believe that art is better, and more meaningful, when it comes out of collaboration and connection. Simply put: we need one another.
 
Resonance Ensemble builds strong community partnerships.
Resonance has fostered lasting partnerships with organizations in Portland and across the U.S. Through these partnerships, we have been able to provide resources, call attention to injustice, and strengthen relationships. Guided by our community and artistic partners, we continue to design programs that highlight and explore complex issues - not only inspiring listeners to take action, but educating them how to enact change in their communities.
 
Resonance Ensemble provides free access to our programming.
The Resonance Ensemble Access Project (REAP) initiative ensures that all of our concerts are available to the world both in person and live-streamed online. Thousands of people have experienced this season’s new art through this major initiative. We were proud to partner with All Classical Portland, which broadcast the world premiere of Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem along with WQXR New York, reaching listeners live and coast-to-coast. Beginning this month, radio stations around the country are able to broadcast the syndicated version of the premiere, made available for free by All Classical Portland and WQXR.
 
Resonance Ensemble produces multi-dimensional experiences.
Our work with the Advisory Council for An African American Requiem led to the creation of a multi-dimensional experience geared toward Black students and families from PPS and other area school districts that included not only the live performance, but also curricular integration, in-school presentations, workshops, educational videos, and post-show interactive engagement.

The in-person experiences expanded beyond the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall - including an event at the incredible Soul Restoration Center, hosted by Dr. S. Renee Mitchell. The curriculum and the incredible supplementary video content are part of our intentional long-term strategy to build upon An African American Requiem and continue to amplify its impact.
 
With this support, we were able to offer the curriculum to hundreds of public school students and members of the Black community who all came to the performance - for free - to experience Damien Geter’s pivotal work. Our work could not have happened without partnerships with community leaders from All Classical Portland, Bethel A.M.E. Church, Bravo Youth Orchestras, Catlin Gabel School, I Am M.O.R.E., Oh! Creative, Oregon Symphony, Portland Art Museum, Portland Public Schools, Self Enhancement Inc., the Soul Restoration Center, and Vanport Mosaic.
 
Click here to view the curriculum and the incredible supplementary video content created for this multi dimensional experience.
 
Donors make tangible connections possible. Providing accessible connections isn’t possible without financial support. As we get closer to June 30 - the end of our fiscal year - we hope you will consider a donation to Resonance Ensemble.

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT TANGIBLE CONNECTION.

East Coast Premiere a Stunning Success!

Our trip to Washington D.C. stays in our hearts forever

At the end of May, Resonance Ensemble traveled to Washington D.C. to perform with Choral Arts Society of Washington and NEWorks Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir for the East Coast premiere of An African American Requiem. In just five short days, new friendships were formed, old friendships grew stronger, and—of course—we got to make some incredible music.

It was a trip we will remember forever. 

Resonance is so grateful for the opportunity to share Damien Geter’s important, beautiful music with a world that needs it more than ever. A big thank you to the Choral Arts team for being such wonderful hosts and helping our West Coast performers feel so welcome!

We hope you all will enjoy a few of our favorite snapshots from our time in the nation’s capitol!

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Rehearsals for the East Coast premiere

Hot and humid weather, flight delays, thunderstorms, tight timelines, masks, and COVID tests—nothing could stop us. Performers from Choral Arts, NEWorks, and Resonance joined together to prepare for the premiere. The room was abuzz with intense concentration and collaboration. We especially loved when Dr. S. Renee Mitchell (poet for the last movement of the Requiem) joined rehearsal, sharing with the performers both her poem and her insights about the importance of this work.

AFTER WORK, WE PLAY! 

This action packed trip didn't allow for much downtime, but our intrepid singers squeezed adventure into every moment. Here are a few of our favorite candids they shared with us!

Cheers! (Judy A. Rose and Shohei Kobayashi)

Game time! Maya Brown and Judy A. Rose are winners of some Resonance merch!

Friends forever. (Judy A. Rose, Cassidy Bacon, and Patrice Woods)

Maria Karlin outside the Kennedy Center!

Venturing out for a tour of DC

THE EAST COAST PREMIERE - MAY 23, 2022

Backstage and lobby candids from the Kennedy Center!

The Resonance singers are sure looking dapper waiting for their big entrance onto the Kennedy Center stage!

It’s almost time!

Damien Geter with a loving admirer.

We recognize these fans!

Our own Brandon Brack shown here with Brandon’s family and Damien.

Long time Resonance singer and supporter Stephen Marc Beaudoin (seen here with Liz Bacon) was with us too!

The Requiem Story signs came with us and were displayed in the lobby. Audiences were invited to share what this evening meant to them.

We were so excited to share more about Resonance - including the My Requiem Story series - with the East Coast audience!

THE EAST COAST PREMIERE 

Thank you to Shannon Finney (courtesy of Choral Arts) for these beautiful shots captured inside the Kennedy Center concert hall.

The NEWorks Philharmonic Orchestra

Nolan Williams, Jr., conductor, NEWorks Philharmonic Orchestra

Karmesha Peake, Mezzo Soloist

Soloists from L to R: Jacqueline Echols (soprano), Karmesha Peake (mezzo), Norman Shankle (tenor), Kenneth Overton (baritone)

Final bows - expressions of gratitude.

A standing ovation!

Indeed, it was a beautiful night.

THERE ARE FEW WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW WE FEEL. (...but we sure will try!)

Many have predicted that An African American Requiem will change the world. One thing is certain: for musicians and arts leaders on both sides of the country, this Requiem has certainly changed us.

Our hearts are full.

On May 7th — after five years of collaborating, planning, rehearsing, and a two-year postponement — the world premiere of An African American Requiem was presented to a full house at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

After the final notes of the choir and orchestra resounded, we all stood together and applauded the stunning performances of Brandie Sutton, Karmesha Peake, Bernard Holcomb, Kenneth Overton, poet S. Renee Mitchell, the incredible singers from Resonance Ensemble, Kingdom Sound Gospel choir, and other regional choirs. We are so grateful to composer Damien Geter for entrusting this visionary work to Resonance, the Oregon Symphony, and All Classical Portland.

Although the road to get here has been long and winding, our artists and listeners have shared how they feel changed by what they experienced.

The Resonance Team takes a moment to share our gratitude to everyone who helped us launch the premiere of Damien Geter’s revolutionary work:

Thank you to our incredible collaborators.
To the singers, the creative team, the Requiem Advisory Council, and our partners at Portland Public Schools, the Oregon Symphony, and All Classical Portland: This premiere happened because each of you believed in it from the first rehearsal in 2020, through the building anticipation during the pandemic and the months of rehearsals and meetings in the past season - all the way to concert night this past Saturday. Your time, tenacity, dedication, and passion have been an inspiration to us all to do better each day. We are forever grateful for this beautiful collaboration.

Thank you to the curriculum committee.
Resonance was proud to collaborate also with Dr. S. Renee Mitchell, Judy A. Rose, Oh! Creative, and Portland Public Schools to develop a thoughtful, trauma-informed curriculum to prepare students for performance of the Requiem. The beautiful Curriculum Guide - supplemented by thoughtful and engaging videos produced by Oh! Creative - allowed students in Portland to learn more about the symphony orchestra, the Requiem tradition, and the history of racial violence in our community and beyond. The guide is already being adapted for use by programs across the country, and we are so grateful for the thoughtful preparation of these materials to educate, challenge, and engage youth everywhere.

Thank you to our donors and supporters
To all of our donors and supporters for this project: We thank you for your vision and generosity. This support allowed us not only to present the work faithfully, but to expand the conversations this Requiem inspires well beyond the concert hall. Video interviews, the thoughtfully-detailed curriculum for students, providing vital accessibility tools for community members–all made possible through your generous support.

Thank you to local and national journalists.
We were deeply moved by the thoughtful articles written about An African American Requiem. You can read all of them here – one that particularly touched us was a piece from Oregon ArtsWatch: Damien Geter: Composing with Resonance.

Last, but certainly not least, thank YOU.
Thank you to all who joined us in person or tuned in to the All Classical Portland radio broadcast on Saturday. Thank you for supporting this important new work and for offering such thoughtful feedback. Thank you for opening your hearts to the beautiful, challenging, and poignant music of Damien Geter, and for the moving standing ovation to cheer the artists who brought you An African American Requiem.

As we anticipate the announcement of our 2022-23 season, we promise to continue to offer purposeful programming, exceptional artistry, with music that provides tangible connection. We look forward to continuing this journey with you by our sides. Here's to more of that.

With love,
The Resonance Team

STAY CONNECTED TO AN AFRICAN AMERICAN REQUIEM

CLICK HERE FOR ON-DEMAND LISTENING
All Classical Portland presented a live, bi-coastal broadcast of the world premiere of Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem in collaboration with WQXR in New York. The live broadcast will be available for on-demand listening in All Classical Portland’s Audio Archive through May 21, 2022.

CLICK HERE FOR AAR PHOTO ALBUM
Enjoy photos both from photographer Rachel Hadiashar and candids from artists and audience members!

CLICK HERE FOR AAR RESOURCE PAGE
A curated list of resources to learn more about An African American Requiem and how you can stay engaged in your own communities.

"My Requiem Story" video series launches today!

Musicians and arts leaders share what Damien Geter's "An African American Requiem" means to them.

In preparation for the upcoming world premiere of Damien Geter’s groundbreaking work An African American Requiem, Resonance Ensemble announces the launch of a new video series, “My Requiem Story,” in which musicians and arts leaders share what this work means to them.

This curated collection of video stories is part of a larger education and community outreach effort surrounding the May 7th world premiere of An African American Requiem, commissioned by Resonance Ensemble.

• In collaboration with our partners at the Oregon Symphony and All Classical Portland, Resonance Ensemble convened an AAR Advisory Board that has met regularly to discuss the ways to amplify the impact of this important premiere.

• Anonymous donors purchased a large block of tickets for the world premiere so that we could offer 350 free tickets to student groups from schools around the Portland metro area, prioritizing access for the Black student unions and the Black community in Portland.

• Resonance has designed a multi-dimensional educational curriculum package that includes curricular integration, in-school presentations, workshops, the live performance, and post-show interactive engagement and processing.

• We are supporting the vital work of S. Renee Mitchell and the Soul Restoration Center, who are creating preparatory activities and post-concert artistic reflection centering Black healing and joy.

These heart-filled, vulnerable stories describe the profound impact of An African American Requiem, even before the work has premiered. Today’s first video release features the incredible Onry (onrymusic.com). Please watch, share, and think about your own Requiem story; you can submit yours to info@resonancechoral.org

For more information about “An African American Requiem”, visit resonancechoral.org

► THANK YOU
The incredible Onry (onrymusic.com)
The amazing Cecille Elliott on viola (cecilleelliott.com)
The talented film crew at Oh! Creative (ohcreativepdx.com)
The Soul Restoration Center + Dr. S. Renee Mitchell and Sunshine Dixon

The African American Requiem Video Series would not be possible without the generous support of our donors. We especially recognize the following individuals and organizations who made lead gifts and gave in-kind support to this project.

• Ronni Lacroute

• Anonymous supporters “For the Baachans”

• Portland Public Schools

• Tom and Donna Nguyen

► How you can help
We believe that art is essential and must be accessible, now more than ever. Please consider making a donation to support our AAR Video Series. Your gift will allow us to bring performing art to our community safely and free of charge. Donate to REAP today.

All Classical Portland and WQXR Partner for Bi–Coastal LIVE Broadcast of World Premiere of Damien Geter's An African American Requiem

The radio stations will simulcast Damien Geter’s first-of-its-kind requiem LIVE from Portland OR, Saturday, May 7, 2022 at 5:50 PM PT/8:50 PM ET, performed by Oregon Symphony and Resonance Ensemble. The program will be syndicated to stations across the USA in June, free of charge.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 6, 2022

PORTLAND, OREGON – All Classical Portland, the Pacific Northwest’s premiere 24-hour classical music radio station, is teaming up with WQXR in New York to present a simultaneous live broadcast of the world premiere of Portland-based composer Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem. 

Commissioned by Portland’s Resonance Ensemble, this pivotal work memorializes the lives of Black Americans lost to racial violence in a first-of-its-kind requiem. A collaboration between Damien Geter, Resonance Ensemble, and the Oregon Symphony, the world premiere will be performed at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, OR, on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at 5:50 PM PT (8:50 PM ET). The live broadcast will be available at 89.9 FM in Portland, 105.9 FM in New York, and streaming worldwide at allclassical.org. 

“As a Black composer in today’s America, I feel like I've been writing this my entire life,” says Damien Geter. “I was hoping there would be a time we wouldn’t need this piece, but I think we always will. I hope An African American Requiem leads to important action that affects change.” 

The requiem includes African American spirituals as well as texts from civil rights activists Ida B. Wells and Jamilia Land. It also highlights words dedicated to Eric Garner, a line from a poem by Antwon Rose, and words written and performed by Portland poet Dr. S. Renee Mitchell. 

Originally slated to premiere in April 2020, the requiem was put on hold due to the ongoing global pandemic. The renewed production will feature the Oregon Symphony and the African American Requiem Choir, made up of singers from Resonance Ensemble, Kingdom Sound Gospel Choir, and Portland-based choirs. William Eddins will conduct, and Resonance’s Artistic Director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon will prepare the chorus. The concert will also feature a quartet of 

renowned African American opera singers: Brandie Sutton, soprano; Karmesha Peake, mezzo-soprano; Bernard Holcomb, tenor; and Kenneth Overton, baritone. 

The radio broadcast will be co-hosted by Suzanne Nance, All Classical Portland President and CEO, and Terrance McKnight, WQXR’s evening host. All Classical Portland‘s Sarah Zwinklis and WQXR’s Eileen Delahunty will produce the program. 

“An African American Requiem and its recent composition for chorus and orchestra is a painful reminder of the horror and ongoing threat of racial apathy and intolerance,” says Terrance McKnight. “It is also a reminder of the power of music to bring us together as a community of concerned and compassionate listeners around the globe. I look forward to bringing the world premiere to our listeners.” 

All Classical Portland and WQXR are also partnering to syndicate the program to radio stations across the country, following the world premiere. The syndicated presentation will be available in early June 2022, in time for stations to observe Juneteenth with their own broadcast of the program. More information about syndication can be found at allclassical.org/requiem. 

“This is public radio at its best,” says Suzanne Nance. “Amplifying art that reflects our society, and uplifting the powerful work of composers like Damien Geter, is at the heart of our mission at All Classical Portland. We are proud of this collaboration with the performers and New York City’s WQXR. By working together, we will increase the national and global access to an important work, through an unprecedented live broadcast event.” 

Damien Geter and Dr. S. Renee Mitchell have collaborated with All Classical Portland in the past. In 2020, the station commissioned and premiered Geter’s String Quartet No. 1 “Neo-Soul.” The same year, Dr. Mitchell was commissioned by the station to author a poem revolving around the words “joy,” legacy,” and “voice.” Her reading of the poem, “Harmonizing with Joy” is currently spotlighted at allclassical.org, as part of National Poetry Month in April. 

Those interested in attending the May 7 performance in-person at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall can visit the Oregon Symphony’s website at orsymphony.org for tickets and more information. 

To learn more about the live broadcast and All Classical Portland, visit allclassical.org. To learn more about WQXR visit wqxr.org. 

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Photo: Rachel Hadiashar

DAMIEN GETER, Composer

Damien Geter is a diverse artist whose credits include performances ranging from the operatic stage to the television screen. Damien’s 2019-2020 season includes appearances with the Metropolitan Opera (Undertaker in Porgy and Bess), Seattle Opera (Colonel in The Rising and the Falling), Eugene Opera (Angelotti in Tosca), Resonance Ensemble, and Third Angle New Music (Sanctuaries.) Damien’s 2018-2019 included appearances with Seattle Opera in the role of the Undertaker and covering the role of Jake in Porgy and Bess; and a debut with Vashon Opera in the role of Colline in La Boheme. Damien returned to Portland Opera in the fall of 2018 in the role of Dr. Grenville in Verdi’s La Traviata. (Photo, composition information, and biography: Damien Geter, damiengeter.com)

Photo: Matthew Septimus

TERRANCE McKNIGHT, Host

Terrance McKnight is the evening host on WQXR. Terrance is an Artistic Advisor for the Harlem Chamber Players and serves on the board of the Bagby Foundation and the MacDowell Colony. He’s frequently sought out by major cultural organizations for his insight into the cultivation of diverse perspectives and voices in the cultural sphere. He regularly curates concerts and talks at Merkin Concert Hall, the Billie Holiday Theatre the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Museum of Modern Art. (Photo: Matthew Septimus, wqxr.org/people/terrance-mcknight/)

Photo: Suzanne Nance by AJ Coots

SUZANNE NANCE, Host

Suzanne Nance was recognized as a “2022 Woman of Influence” by Portland Business Journal for her work as the President and CEO of All Classical Portland and the International Children’s Arts Network, and named one of Portland’s “best radio personalities” for her work as host of Sunday Brunch. She is the creator of the Emmy® Award winning TV program MaineArts! and has served as the voice of the internationally syndicated Lyric Opera of Chicago radio series; the Grant Park Music Festival, Milwaukee Symphony, and Bravo! Vail Music Festival radio series.

RESONANCE ENSEMBLE

Resonance Ensemble (commissioners of An African American Requiem) is a professional vocal ensemble based in Portland, Oregon, creating powerful programs that promote meaningful social change. The ensemble works to amplify voices that have long been silenced, and does so through moving, thematic concerts that highlight solo and choral voices, new and underrepresented composers, visual, and other performing artists. Under Artistic Director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon, Resonance Ensemble performs challenging and diverse music, always with an eye toward unusual collaborations with artistic partners such as poets, jazz musicians, singer-songwriters, painters, and dancers from around Portland. Learn more at resonancechoral.org.

OREGON SYMPHONY

Oregon Symphony, led by Music Director David Danzmayr, is multi-Grammy Award-nominated and ranks as one of America’s major orchestras. It produces several hundred concerts and award-winning education and community programs each year, while innovating on stage through multimedia series such as SoundSights, Sounds of Home and SoundStories. Celebrating its 125th anniversary in the 2021/22 season, Oregon Symphony is committed to building the audiences of tomorrow through breakthrough artistic programs with a wide-ranging coalition of cultural thought-leaders and musical innovators. For more information, visit orsymphony.org.

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The Oregon Symphony and Portland’s Resonance Ensemble Announce the World Premiere of Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem

Composer Damien Geter and Poet S. Renee Mitchell

The performance will examine the impact of 400 years of racial violence against Black Americans in a special concert on May 7th, 2022 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 

PORTLAND, Ore. (March 22, 2022) - Today, Oregon Symphony and Portland’s Resonance Ensemble are honored to announce the world premiere of Portland-based composer Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem. Commissioned by Resonance Ensemble, this pivotal work memorializes the lives of Black Americans lost to racial violence in the United States, in the first Requiem of its kind. A joint collaboration between Geter, Resonance Ensemble and Oregon Symphony, the world premiere will be performed on Saturday, May 7th at 6:00 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

“As a Black composer in today’s America, I feel like I've been writing this my entire life,” says Geter. “I was hoping there would be a time we wouldn’t need this piece, but I think we always will. I hope An African American Requiem leads to important action that affects change.” 

Geter’s inspiration for the piece came in the aftermath of the 2016 election. In 2017 he approached Resonance Ensemble with the idea, and Resonance commissioned the work with the support of Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. Soon after, Resonance Ensemble reached out to the Oregon Symphony, forming a partnership to bring the piece to life on stage. 

“Music has the power to inspire, educate, and heal,” says Scott Showalter, President and CEO of Oregon Symphony. “It has been an honor to work with Damien and Resonance Ensemble to bring such a relevant and meaningful project to our community that will hopefully serve as a catalyst for action.”

The premiere will feature musicians from across Oregon, including the Oregon Symphony and the African American Requiem Choir, made up of singers from Resonance Ensemble, Kingdom Sound Gospel Choir, and other area choirs. William Eddins will conduct, Katherine FitzGibbon will prepare the chorus, and the concert will feature a quartet of renowned African American opera singers: soprano Brandie Sutton, mezzo-soprano Karmesha Peake, tenor Bernard Holcomb, and baritone Kenneth Overton. 

The piece includes African American spirituals as well as texts from civil rights activists Ida B. Wells and Jamilia Land. One movement is dedicated solely to Eric Garner’s famous last words, “I can’t breathe,” while another recognizes children who have been killed and features a line from a poem by Antwon Rose, “I am confused and afraid.” The final movement will include words penned and performed by African American poet and Portland resident Dr. S. Renee Mitchell. 

In addition to being performed in-person, All Classical Portland will broadcast this world premiere live on 89.9FM, online at allclassical.org, and simulcast on WQXR in New York City. They will also syndicate the broadcast for radio stations around the country to share by Juneteenth weekend.  

Following the world premiere in Portland, OR the piece will be performed with Resonance Ensemble and the Choral Arts Society of Washington at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on May 23rd, 2022, and recorded for commercial release.

“In 2017, when we commissioned An African American Requiem, we had no idea the path we were about to embark on,” explains Resonance’s Artistic Director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon. “After delays due to the pandemic, we are thrilled that Damien’s work will premiere here in Oregon at long last. It is extraordinary and moving, and it’s exciting to see how audiences, community partners, and arts organizations across the country are coming together to watch his vision come to life.”

Tickets to the concert start at $20 and can be purchased online through Oregon Symphony or by contacting the ticket office at 503-228-1353. 

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About Damien Geter: 

A celebrated composer, Damien infuses classical music with various styles from the Black diaspora. His growing body of work includes chamber, vocal, orchestral, and full operatic works. Recent highlights include commissions Cantata for a Hopeful Tomorrow for The Washington Chorus, Invisible for Opera Theater Oregon, The Justice Symphony for the University of Michigan, Buh-roke for the Portland Baroque Orchestra, and String Quartet No. 1, Neo-Soul for All Classical Portland and On-Site Opera. His piece 1619 appeared with On Site Opera recently as part of their presentation “What Lies Beneath.” Damien made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the Undertaker in the Grammy award-winning production of Porgy and Bess. Other credits include: Angelotti in Tosca with Portland Opera, Sam in Trouble in Tahiti with the Reno Symphony, the title role in Errollyn Wallen’s Quamino’s Map with Chicago Opera Theatre, bass soloist in Darrell Grant’s Sanctuaries, and the bass soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony for the Richmond Symphony. Composition premieres in 2022 include his large work, An African American Requiem, with Resonance Ensemble and the Oregon Symphony and I Said What I Said for Imani Winds. Damien looks forward to his second opera, Holy Ground, premiering this summer at the Glimmerglass Festival. website

About Resonance Ensemble:
Resonance Ensemble, a professional vocal ensemble based in Portland, Oregon, creates powerful programs that promote meaningful social change. Resonance Ensemble works to amplify voices that have long been silenced, and does so through moving, thematic concerts that highlight solo and choral voices, new and underrepresented composers, visual and other performing artists, and community partners. Under Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon, Resonance Ensemble has performed challenging and diverse music, always with an eye toward unusual collaborations with artistic partners from around Portland: poets, jazz musicians, singer-songwriters, painters, dancers. The Resonance singers are “one of the Northwest’s finest choirs” (I), with gorgeous vocal tone, and they also make music with heart. As Oregon Arts Watch recently wrote, “They do social justice music justice: their concerts are part social commentary, part group therapy, and part best damn choir show in town.” For more information, visit resonancechoral.org

Follow Resonance Ensemble on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube @ResonanceChoralPDX

About Oregon Symphony:

Led by Music Director David Danzmayr, the multi-Grammy Award-nominated Oregon Symphony ranks as one of America’s major orchestras. It produces several hundred concerts and award-winning education and community programs each year, serving more than 250,000 people in-person and tens of millions more people through broadcasts and recordings. The Oregon Symphony has broken attendance and fundraising records in recent years, while innovating on stage through multimedia series such as SoundSights, Sounds of Home and SoundStories. Celebrating its 125th anniversary in the 2021/22 season, Oregon Symphony is committed to building the audiences of tomorrow through breakthrough artistic programs with a wide-ranging coalition of cultural thought-leaders and musical innovators. For more information, visit www.orsymphony.org.

Follow Oregon Symphony on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube @OregonSymphony.    

Contact Information:

Liz Bacon Brownson
Resonance Ensemble
liz@resonancechoral.org
971-212-8034

Ashley Clark
Grady Britton (Oregon Symphony)
pr@gradybritton.com
503-758-3289

Join us at ABYA YALA this weekend. Some words from our Artistic Director.

Composer Freddy Vilches and Conductor Katherine FitzGibbon
PHOTO: RACHEL HADIASHAR

We look forward to being in this beautiful space at Cerimon House - together in ABYA YALA - with all of you.

— Katherine FitzGibbon, Artistic Director

One of my students attended a  Resonance rehearsal earlier this week, and she described herself afterwards as overwhelmed by the marriage of the music’s stories and drama, the skill of the singers, and the passion for justice embodied in the program. She said, “It became so clear to me: Resonance’s mission inspires the art, and the art inspires the mission.”

This insightful comment made me think about how this concert came together. Freddy Vilches reached out with an idea for a choral suite that would explore indigenous connections with the land and  with their history that transcends colonial and geopolitical borders. We were thrilled to commission him to create this work. His friendships with indigenous poets from across Latin America, and his own lived experience and musical versatility, led him to create the magnificent work you’ll hear today. Drawing upon musical styles and instrumentation from the regions being spotlighted, Freddy has woven together a choral suite that, as Freddy says, “vindicates” the historical connections, languages, and cultural traditions of each poet.

Freddy’s art inspired the mission. We began learning deeply – from Freddy about the experiences of the poets, and in conversations with Oregon indigenous communities – and the program began to take shape. Gabriela Lena Frank’s Hombre errante, with its dramatic storytelling of an Andean people ripped from their homes; Jerod Impichchaachaawa’ Tate’s Taloowa chipota’, which depicts traditional stomp dances; and Mari Esabel Valverde’s Border Lines, with its message about how border lines only exist in sand. While we chose this work months ago, the attack on Ukraine painfully amplifies its resonance today. 

In addition to reading about local organizations and resources supporting the indigenous communities in our region, we invite you to hear directly from indigenous creators—Freddy, Mari, and photographer Joe Cantrell—in a discussion following the concert.

We look forward to being in the beautiful space at Cerimon House - together in ABYA YALA - with all of you. We hope you can join us this weekend, either in person or online.

— Katherine FitzGibbbon, President and Artistic Director

COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: Meet Freddy Vilches

PHOTO CREDIT: Rachel Hadiashar

Freddy Vilches is an accomplished composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and educator based in Portland, OR. His latest work, The Abya Yala Choral Suite, will be premiered by Resonance Ensemble at ABYA YALA on March 5 & 6.

In this soil
inhabit the stars
In this sky sings
the imagination water
Beyond the clouds
That surge from
These waters
And these soils
Our ancestors
Dream of us
Their spirit - they say - is the full moon
The silence, their beating heart.

from Mapudungun poem “Tvfaci mapu mew mogeley wagvlen” by Elicura Chihuailaf N.,
translated to English by Freddy Vilches (featured in the Abya Yala Choral Suite)

ABOUT “ABYA YALA CHORAL SUITE”

Freddy Vilches shares his vision for the premiere of his latest work, the Abya Yala Choral Suite

Vilches: I’m very excited to be working with Kathy FitzGibbon and Resonance Ensemble on the premiere of my latest composition, Abya Yala Choral Suite.

This multilingual composition is the result of many months of research and collaborative work with different poets in Latin America. As a mestizo composer with indigenous roots in South America, my original idea was to compose a choral suite that would include poems in several languages spoken by our indigenous communities in South, Central and North America - as well as their versions in Spanish. I selected 5 bilingual poets from different regions of Abya Yala whose poetry spoke to me. My collaborative work with these great poets took different forms, ranging from writing adaptations to better suit the song format to discussing the styles of music and instrumentation we envisioned for each piece.

The poems were chosen for their beauty and subtle, yet powerful messages. In these texts we find the constant presence of our ancestors, a profound love for the land “Pachamama,” and a strong call to preserve the languages and cultures of our indigenous communities for future generations. The result is this multilingual work that includes poets from the Mapuche, Aymara, Quechua, Maya K'iche', and Nahuatl communities. Although directly related to Abya Yala, the topics addressed by these poets are universal, hence the beauty and relevance of these poems for all.

ABOUT FREDDY VILCHES

Originally from Santiago, Chile Freddy has recorded and performed extensively throughout the US and Latin America. He received his PhD in Romance Languages from the University of Oregon, specializing in Latin American Literature of the 20th and 21st Centuries. His research interests include Latin American literature, music, and film.

Composer Freddy Vilches, shown here playing a cuatro

At Lewis & Clark College, he is an Associate Professor in the Department of World Languages and Literatures, and instructor of several traditional instruments (charango, cuatro, and Afro-Cuban percussion) and director of the Latin American Ensemble in the Music Department. As a scholar, he has published several articles on Latin American poetry, fiction, film, and music.

As a producer, in 2021 Freddy released a documentary film on the Abakua Secret Society in Cuba, and is currently producing the 75th anniversary album of Conjunto Chappottin, one of the most emblematic Son bands in Cuba.

As a composer, he has written music in a wide variety of styles from Latin America and the Caribbean. He has also composed several symphonic works including his recent Suite Latinoamericana, a work consisting of five movements which features music, styles, and instruments of the Andes, Colombia and Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, and Cuba. Suite Latinoamericana is scheduled to be performed in Cuba and Bolivia in 2022. Abya Yala Choral Suite is his second major composition dedicated to the indigenous people and cultures of Abya Yala.

Freddy Vilches along with the other members of Matices Latin Ensemble | Facebook

A musician in his own right, Vilches also performs in and conducts the Matices Latin Ensemble, which plays an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music from Latin America - including a variety of elements from Latin music, Brazilian Bossa Nova, Cuban Son, and Latin Jazz. This incredible ensemble will join with Resonance Ensemble for the premiere performances of the Abya Yala Choral Suite. Check our blog again soon to learn more about their ensemble.

Freddy Vilches will participate in a Q&A talkback after the concert. Join us on March 5 and 6 to meet him and hear Resonance perform Vilches’ Abya Yala Choral Suite!

Resonance presents “Abya Yala," a gathering that spotlights indigenous artists.

For immediate release: February 15, 2022

Resonance Ensemble presents “Abya Yala,” a gathering that spotlights the words, music, and visual art of indigenous artists from
Portland and across the Pan Americas.

PORTLAND, OR — Resonance Ensemble returns to Cerimon House on March 5 & 6 to present ABYA YALA: a gathering that spotlights the words, music, and visual art of indigenous artists from Portland and across the Pan Americas. The evening will feature works by composers Gabriela Lena Frank, Mari Esabel Valverde, and Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate – culminating in the world premiere of Resonance’s latest commission, the Abya Yala Choral Suite, by Chilean-born Portland composer Freddy Vilches.

“This concert will explore the idea of Abya Yala, a concept from the Kuna people of Panama adopted by indigenous cultures in the Americas that describes a vision of interconnectedness,” Resonance Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon says. “We're honored to host the composers and artists for this evening of personal and cultural exploration.”

About the Abya Yala World Premiere:

The Abya Yala Choral Suite was co-commissioned by Resonance Ensemble with the Northwest American Choral Directors Association, with a second performance to follow at the NWACDA conference in Spokane on March 12. 

The composer Freddy Vilches notes, “This multilingual composition is the result of many months of research and collaborative work with different poets in Latin America. As a mestizo composer with indigenous roots in South America, my original idea was to compose a choral suite that would include poems in several languages spoken by our indigenous communities in South, Central and North America, as well as their versions in Spanish.” 

This substantial work will include musical accompaniment by Vilches’s own group, Matices Latin Ensemble. For this performance, Vilches has also invited two special guest musicians who are traveling from Chile to join Resonance.

“I’m very excited to be working with Kathy FitzGibbon and Resonance Ensemble for the premiere of my latest composition,” Vilches says. “In these texts we find the constant presence of our ancestors, a profound love for the land ‘Pachamama,’ and a strong call to preserve the languages and cultures of our indigenous communities for future generations.”

Additional Works and Guest Artists: 

In addition to the Vilches premiere, the performance will feature Hombre Errante by Gabriela Lena Frank, a substantial work which loosely adapts Peruvian poems and tales to tell the story of a “wandering man of the Andes.” Oregon Symphony principal cellist Nancy Ives also joins Resonance to perform Mari Esabel Valverde’s profound reflection “Border Lines” and Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate’s Taloowa’ Chipota.

Celebrated local photographer Joe Cantrell will present an installation of his work at Cerimon House during the concert weekend. Drawing upon his 16 years as a photojournalist, his interest in geological time, and his “Cherokee tradition of viewing the universe” (Oregon Arts Watch), Cantrell has captured a wide array of local subjects and celebrations, from the Waterfront Blues Festival to classical music performances to the immigrant-culture celebrations of Beaverton Market. 

The evening will culminate with a panel discussion that includes Vilches, Valverde, Cantrell, and FitzGibbon speaking on the music, their experiences, and opportunities for the audience to take action in their own communities.

In addition to tickets for a limited audience at Cerimon House, Resonance is also proud to present a livestream of the Sunday concert for donations only, thanks to Resonance’s new REAP Initiative.

Tickets on sale now at resonancechoral.org

Note to Journalists: Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon, composer Freddy Vilches, and Artistic Advisor Damien Geter are available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at liz@resonancechoral.org or by calling (503) 427-8701.

FOR MORE INFO:
Media Contact: Liz Bacon Brownson | Email: liz@resonancechoral.org | Phone: (503) 427-8701
YOUTUBE LINK: youtube.com/c/ResonanceEnsemble

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Introducing the REAP Initiative: Resonance Ensemble Access Project

The world looks a lot different now, but artists are still finding a way to safely create, foster community, and share powerful stories. Last year showed us at Resonance Ensemble the incredible global demand for free, online access to our programming - which is why we are proud to present the Resonance Ensemble Access Project (REAP), our initiative to ensure that all of our concerts are available to the world both in-person and online.

We can’t do it without you.

Providing this vital accessibility also increases the expenses of producing our concerts, so we are asking viewers like you to make a donation in lieu of a ticket purchase, at whatever level you're able, and for our supporters to consider an additional donation to underwrite this access for those who cannot afford to donate. 

The REAP Initiative. Providing free, online access to the music of Resonance Ensemble.

About Resonance Ensemble

In its thirteenth season, Resonance Ensemble, a professional vocal ensemble based in Portland, Oregon, creates thoughtful programs that promote meaningful social change. Resonance Ensemble works to amplify voices that have long been silenced, and they do so through moving, thematic concerts that highlight solo and choral voices, new and underrepresented composers, visual and other performing artists, and community partners. 

Under Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon, Resonance Ensemble has performed challenging and diverse music, always with an eye toward unusual collaborations with artistic partners from around the country: poets, jazz musicians, singer-songwriters, painters, dancers. The Resonance Ensemble singers are “one of the Northwest’s finest choirs” (Willamette Week), with gorgeous vocal tone, and they also make music with heart. 

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

About Freddy Vilches

Freddy Vilches Meneses is a composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and educator based in Portland, OR. Originally from Santiago, Chile Freddy has recorded and performed extensively throughout the US and Latin America. He received his PhD in Romance Languages from the University of Oregon, specializing in Latin American Literature of the 20th and 21st Centuries. His research interests include Latin American literature, music, and film. At Lewis & Clark College, he is an Associate Professor in the Department of World Languages and Literatures, and instructor of several traditional instruments (charango, cuatro, and Afro-Cuban percussion) and director of the Latin American Ensemble in the Music Department. 

As a scholar, he has published several articles on Latin American poetry, fiction, film, and music. As a producer, in 2021 Freddy released a documentary film on the Abakua Secret Society in Cuba, and is currently producing the 75th anniversary album of Conjunto Chappottin, one of the most emblematic Son bands in Cuba. 

As a composer, he has written  music in a wide variety of styles from Latin America and the Caribbean. He has also composed several symphonic works including his recent “Suite Latinoamericana,” a work consisting of five movements which features music, styles, and instruments of the Andes, Colombia and Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, and Cuba.   “Suite Latinoamericana” is scheduled to be performed in Cuba and Bolivia in 2022. Abya Yala Choral Suite is his second major composition dedicated to the indigenous people and cultures of Abya Yala.

About Mari Esabel Valverde

Award-winning composer and singer Mari Esabel Valverde (b. 1987) has been commissioned by the American Choral Directors Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Seattle Men’s and Women’s Choruses, and Boston Choral Ensemble among others and has appeared with Dallas Chamber Choir, Vox Humana, and EXIGENCE (Detroit). Fluent in Spanish and French, she actively studies Brazilian Portuguese and Swedish. She has translated numerous vocal works and documents including a phonetic guide of Ravel’s opera L’Enfant et les Sortilèges. Based in North Texas, she taught voice at the high school level for over six years. Her former students have participated in All-State Choirs and State Solo Competition. She currently teaches singing and transgender voice training with Your Lessons Now.

marivalverde.com/long

About Matices Latin Ensemble

Under the direction of Freddy Vilches, Matices Latin Ensemble plays an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music from Latin America and incorporates a variety of elements from Latin music, Brazilian Bossa Nova, Cuban Son, and Latin Jazz. 

facebook.com/Matices-Latin-Ensemble

About Nancy Ives

Composer and cellist Nancy Ives has “built a career of such spectacular diversity that no summation will do her achievements justice.” (Artslandia) Deemed a “local treasure” by the Portland Mercury, Ives enjoys an illustrious performance career which informs her eloquent and enduring compositional style. By way of an adventurous and multifaceted career, which includes more than 20 years as Principal Cellist of the Oregon Symphony, performances and collaborations with virtually all of the region’s premier performance organizations, and a history of service to enrich the local cultural community, Ives is a gracious and essential cornerstone of musical life in the Pacific Northwest.

nancyives.com/biography

About Joe Cantrell

“I am a member of the Cherokee tribe, raised in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, which may, or may not, have something to do with this.

As a child, I thought all things in nature had a Spirit. I broke rocks open to discover what lay inside them, but I always felt a pang when I did it, a little prayer asking forgiveness of the rock and the order that had placed it with me. Plant life was the same way, flowers looked and smelled beautiful, but the changes in their geometry as they passed through the life cycle were more enticing. Zen seemed to have more answers than science for me. Now approaching age seventy, digital photography makes those explorations visible for others. I’m just a valve. I point the shiny side of the camera at something, push the button, and things pass through so you can see them, too. Often, I don’t even “see” what I’m photographing, rather, I feel it and am thoroughly surprised when the final image appears.

So as you look here, these are YOUR images. You are participating by seeing them in your mind, from your perspective, and that invokes all that you are. The object, photograph, viewer and photographer become a single thing. We sense things relative to ourselves, according to human perspective based on an average size of, say, 170 cm. tall, 75 kg. So, something that is the size of a fingernail seems “small,” and an automobile seems “large.” Yet in a universal perspective (whether we are aware or not, the one in which we all exist) our entire planet seems microscopic, and we, with all our “achievements,” and superstitions and egos, an insignificant, self-destructive nothing. BUT, we are part of All That! See!”

www.agiyo.thecolorpixels.com/#text_about

About Cerimon House

Cerimon House is a cultural arts organization that presents performance, visual arts, and community programming. Led by Artistic Director Vin Shambry, we envision a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community in Portland that embraces the arts, culture, history, story, and ceremony. Cerimon House programs a variety of performances, workshops, and art installations, and we make our building available as a convening space for performance art, community events, conversations, and experiences that bring about a better world. 

www.cerimonhouse.org

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For more information: 

Website: /resonancechoral.org
Youtube: /c/ResonanceEnsemble
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Twitter: /resonanceensemblepdx

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