Artist Spotlight: Meet Stacey Philipps
LISTEN, both the album and the concert, includes innovative commissions and regional premieres by world-class composers who have played pivotal roles in shaping who Resonance Ensemble is today.
Today we share our interview with Stacey Philipps, composer of “Witch Trial” who sat down with us to share a bit about the piece and herself.
Stacey is a Portland-based composer who has been a well-loved presence in the choral community for many years. Both a new music and early music devotée, she writes music to explore human experiences, lean into dissonance, and share vibrations with those on the stage and in the audience.
Stacey shares about her work Witch Trial, which will be featured on our upcoming program, LISTEN, as well as our debut album of the same name.
From a rehearsal of “Witch Trial” at the Historic Alberta House (2022).
How did you become involved with Resonance Ensemble?
I’ve been a Resonance audience member since concert one as an avid fan of Kathy FitzGibbon and her wonderful programming and singers. She’s put my music on the stage several times – always a total delight, as the performances have been stellar. I’m such a fan of this ensemble, and especially of the work they’re doing now, that I joined the board last fall.
Soprano soloist Emma Rose Lynn introduces “Witch Trial” and its meaning to Resonance listeners at the 2022 We Dissent concert.
For Witch Trial, what drew you to this text?
News articles describing modern-day witch hunts just a few years ago in South Africa, Somalia, and Papua New Guinea, the persistence of hate crimes in the world, and then the voices of women I found in trial transcripts from the Salem Witch Trials from which I gathered inspiration for the text.
In setting the text, what did you feel was the most important thing for the listener to understand?
The unbelievable emotional journey of the wrongly accused, from declamatory and forthright to plaintive to accepting to beatific – even bestowing blessings on her accusers! Equally important to notice are the righteous and somewhat panicked voices of the crowd of accusers who vehemently coalesce around their notion of justice and won’t let it go. Always astonishing how history repeats.
What do you love about the process of composing?
I love it all: the gathering phase – researching, brainstorming, sketching – the creative phase – the puzzle of putting all the elements together, layering meaning, and finding where to lean musically into emotional elements – the refining phase of ruthless editing and clarifying, and the collaborative phase of hearing performers make audible what was in my mind. It’s still magical every time.
Why is music important to you?
I was steeped in music from my earliest memories on – studying piano and voice and singing in choir and as a soloist – but then left it to study philosophy in college. I returned to music in a serious way a number of years later, and while part of me wishes that I had continued down this path earlier, I don’t regret the diversions (philosophy’s distracting) and I’m incredibly grateful to be back with it now.
Music is important to me because of its power to underscore and even reach beyond the human experience – to express, connect, surprise, provoke, question, thrill, comfort, and more. Honestly, its complexity is just incredibly interesting to me on so many levels (I also love theory!). All this is to say that I think I appreciate it even more for having taken the long way here.
Stacey reacts to Resonance’s performance of her work at We Dissent (2022).
So what’s coming up next for you?
I have another choral song called “Close Distancing” – written during the pandemic but with a longer reach into universal experiences of loss and connection. It’s also being released in October on a new album by the Oregon Repertory Singers, with whom I sing in the alto section.
I’m also in the thick of writing volume two of my book of Gathering Rounds – 52 rounds and canons set to texts by female-identifying poets and writers (ladies, send me your short poems for consideration!). Volume one is for experienced singers for sight-reading, performances, and fun, and this new book will add a special focus on skill-building for middle and high school singers.
Anything else to share?
Very special thanks to Resonance for all the gorgeous singing and remarkable programming over the years and on this album! It’s an honor to have my music included.
Composer Stacey Philipps and Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon outside the Historic Alberta House.
Are you ready to LISTEN ?
CHECK OUT OUR LIVE PERFORMANCES
There’s still time to get tickets to LISTEN - the live performance of our debut album! Click here to learn more about the live performances.
HEAR OUR DEBUT ALBUM!
You can hear Stacey Philipps’s work, Witch Trial, alongside other powerful works by living composers on debut album LISTEN. Click here to learn more about the album and to order your copy today!
unless otherwise noted, all photos in this post are by Rachel Hadiashar
Resonance Ensemble presents: LISTEN — the opening concert of their 15th Anniversary Season
Resonance Ensemble announces the opening concert of their 15th Anniversary Season featuring significant works, special guest artists and the release of their debut album, LISTEN
PORTLAND, OR — Resonance Ensemble, the acclaimed vocal group known for pushing the boundaries of classical music, is excited to announce, “LISTEN,” their 15th-anniversary celebration album release concert. This milestone event promises an unforgettable evening of many of the most important works in Resonance’s history – giving voice to the concerns, hopes, and dreams of our communities.
Known as “part social commentary and part group therapy,” Resonance Ensemble has been a force in Portland’s arts community for 15 years. In commemoration of this significant milestone, Resonance invites audiences to hear live performances of the works on their highly-anticipated debut album. The album and concert feature innovative commissions and regional premieres by Melissa Dunphy, Dominick DiOrio, Mari Esabel Valverde, Stacey Philipps, Renée Favand-See, and others who have played pivotal roles in shaping Resonance into what is described as "the best socially relevant music programming in Portland."
Special guest artists, including Renée Favand-See, Stacey Philipps, and frequent collaborator Vin Shambry, will join the exceptional musicians of the ensemble on stage at Lincoln 75 on the campus of Portland State University, a recital hall that carries the memories of some of Resonance’s very first performances.
Resonance Ensemble's founder and artistic director, Katherine FitzGibbon reflects, “Fifteen years of Resonance Ensemble have been a journey of exploration and evolution. 'LISTEN' is not just an album; it's a testament to our commitment to reinventing classical music as an art form that can create change in the world. We are excited to share this milestone with our audience and to continue to celebrate the transformative power of music.”
Resonance Ensemble's "LISTEN" album is available for pre-order now, and concert tickets are expected to sell out quickly. Don't miss this extraordinary event that celebrates 15 years of musical innovation, creativity, and the enduring strength of what Resonance calls “programming with purpose.”
For more information about the "LISTEN," concert, please visit resonancechoral.org or email at info@resonancechoral.org. To read more about the Album, LISTEN, click here.
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Note to Journalists: Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon, composers Renée Favand-See and Stacey Philipps, and Artistic Advisor Shohei Kobayashi 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.
EVENT SUMMARY
EVENT TITLE: Resonance Ensemble Presents: LISTEN
TIME & DATE: October 14th @ 7:30pm | October 15th @ 3:00pm
LOCATION: Lincoln Hall 75 | PSU - 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97201
PRICING: Single tickets on sale now
($40 general/$30 seniors/$15 artists/students/veterans)
FOR FURTHER READING
About Resonance Ensemble | About Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon
Season 15 Events | Season 15 Featured Artists Page | Season 15 Venues
Single tickets for Resonance Ensemble’s REVOLUTION 15 2023-24 season on sale now!
PORTLAND, OR (September 20, 2023) — Resonance Ensemble announces single tickets for their 2023-24 season to go on sale today. The season, titled REVOLUTION15, celebrates the 15th anniversary for the award-winning vocal group with a dynamic series of concerts that unveils world premieres, welcomes award-winning and innovative guest artists, and features composers Resonance has commissioned throughout these past 15 years.
“While the recent cancellation of Bobby McFerrin due to health concerns was a disappointment, our season is filled with amazing performances,” says Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “Keep your ears peeled for some exciting surprises we can’t wait to unveil in the coming weeks.”
Highlights include:
OCTOBER 2023 | The highly-anticipated album-release concert, LISTEN, provides a strong opening to the season. Attendees will be among the first to have access to the physical copies of this landmark collection of works, which showcases bold commissions and works by rising stars in the choral world. Visiting guest composers are featured on this concert that kicks off this celebratory season of commissioned works. (Reserve your copy of LISTEN here.)
FEBRUARY 2024 | The sure-to-sell-out evening of Black Art Song at the Portland Art Museum curated by Resonance Ensemble’s resident Artistic Advisor Damien Geter. This recital of art song by Black composers is surrounded by – and in conversation with – the artworks of the Portland Art Museum’s “Black Artists of Oregon” exhibit, the first of its kind to consider the work of Black artists collectively in Oregon. Geter is joined by Resonance guest artists, with songs by composers Margaret Bonds, Geter, and more. Featured guests to be announced soon!
MARCH 2024 | Resonance brings you the music of powerhouse composers who use their voices to fight injustice with Amendments: Righting our Wrongs. This concert features the exciting world premiere of a Resonance commission by Portland-based composer Darrell Grant and local poet A. Mimi Sei. With performances at both Oregon Historical Society and the Alberta Rose Theater, the program is presented in partnership with the Oregon Remembrance Project, an organization founded to help communities rectify historical injustice.
JUNE 2024 |The season concludes with a special birthday celebration concert: MISSION 15. An evening comprised entirely of Resonance Ensemble-commissioned works that celebrate the music Resonance has helped champion over the last 15 years. With composers like Kenji Bunch, Damien Geter, Joe Kye, Cecille Elliott, and more, This one-night-only event is sure to pack the beautiful Winningstad Theater.
For more information on pricing and program details, visit RESONANCECHORAL.ORG or contact the Ticketing Box Office at (503) 427-8701.
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Cancelled: CircleSongs with Bobby McFerrin
PORTLAND, OR — Portland-based professional vocal group Resonance Ensemble announced today that CircleSongs with Bobby McFerrin has been canceled due to health issues. The concert was set to premiere on April 5, 2024 at The Patricia Reser Center for the Performing Arts with an additional performance at the Armory at Portland Center Stage on April 6, 2024.
“We are very sad to share this news, and our hearts go out to Bobby McFerrin.” Said Katherine FitzGibbon. “We know it wasn’t an easy decision for him to make, and we hope everyone will join us in sending him all our love.“
The Resonance team is working with both The Patricia Reser Center for the Performing Arts and The Armory - Portland Center Stage to explore other options for the April 2024 dates. Further updates from Resonance will be announced via social media and on the Resonance website.
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TICKET-HOLDERS AND SUBSCRIBERS: for additional information or to answer any questions, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at liz@resonancechoral.org or call our box office at (503) 427-8701.
Resonance Ensemble awarded An Oregon Cultural Trust grant for championing new works.
Among the Oregon commissioned artists celebrated this season (from L to R) Poet A. Mimi Sei, composer Darrell Grant, Composer Judy A. Rose, and composer Renee Favand See
With over $4 million in requests, Resonance Ensemble is one of 86 successful applicants to be awarded a FY24 Cultural Development grant award.
The funding will support the production and presentation of concerts on the 15th anniversary season that celebrate collaborations with Oregon composers around equity and justice in Oregon.
“These awards will enrich the cultural life of every county in Oregon,” said Niki Price, chair of the Cultural Trust board. “Every year it is an honor to fulfill the vision of the Cultural Trust’s founders by ensuring our funding has broad geographic impact and benefits every part of the state.”
“We are proud to receive this award from the Oregon Cultural Trust. Resonance continues to commission and champion new works by composers and poets whose stories have been underrepresented on the concert stage,” says Liz Bacon, Resonance Director of Marketing and Operations and Board Member. “Support like this will certainly help us continue this work for the upcoming concerts on our season that highlight beloved Oregon composers.”
About Resonance Ensemble
Under the direction of Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon, Resonance Ensemble, a professional vocal ensemble based in Portland, Oregon, creates powerful programs promoting meaningful social change. Resonance’s award-winning programming takes a radically collaborative approach, developing concerts in conversation with community partners. Resonance commissions and champions new works by composers and poets whose stories have been underrepresented on the concert stage.
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 music by composers and poets whose stories have been underrepresented on the concert stage, visual and other performing artists, and community partners.
About the Oregon Cultural Trust
Created in 2001 by the Oregon Legislature, the Oregon Cultural Trust was established as an ongoing funding engine for arts, heritage and humanities across the state. Funding comes through the Cultural Tax Credit, which empowers Oregonians to direct more of the taxes they pay to supporting cultural opportunities for all. Oregon is the only state in the country that gives its citizens this choice. Sixty percent of the money goes directly to cultural organizations and agencies in the form of grants. The remaining 40 percent helps grow a permanent fund for culture. It’s described by the Oregonian as “A way to make paying state taxes satisfying.” #thankstoOCF
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Resonance Ensemble releases Debut Album
Resonance Ensemble releases debut album, LISTEN,
at the opening concert of their 15th Anniversary Season
featuring live works and special guest artists
PORTLAND, OR — Following a successful pre-pandemic Kickstarter campaign, Portland-based professional vocal group Resonance Ensemble releases their debut full-length album, LISTEN. The album features bold commissions and landmark works by rising stars in the choral world and is set to be released at the opening concerts of Resonance’s 15th anniversary season. Performances take place at Lincoln Performance Hall at PSU on Saturday, October 14, 2023 with a repeat matinee performance on Sunday, October 15.
“We are excited to share this music that is important, and so personal, to all of us at Resonance,” says Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “We’ve chosen music that embodies Resonance’s mission of creating meaningful social change – and building community – through powerful new vocal music. We’re grateful to our supporters for helping us release this album so we can share this music worldwide.”
The title track, Melissa Dunphy’s LISTEN, was commissioned by Resonance Ensemble and has been performed by Resonance multiple times since its premiere in 2019. The two-movement a cappella work for treble singers sets the testimony of both Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Prof. Anita Hill.
Composer Melissa Dunphy and Resonance director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon tearfully embrace following the premiere of LISTEN in 2019.
“When Katherine approached me with the idea to write this piece, I immediately jumped at the opportunity,” says composer Melissa Dunphy. “Resonance’s premiere of the piece in 2019 was one of the most emotional concerts I’ve ever attended.”
LISTEN also features the premiere recording of another Resonance Ensemble commission by Portland-based composer Renée Favand-See. Only in Falling is a five-movement a cappella meditation on loss and transformation. Favand-See responded to the loss of her infant son Owen with settings of Wendell Berry poetry that she describes as “steadfast companions” in her time of grief, “offering understanding and insight, gradually even light, to my slowly unfolding experience. The poems in this set of pieces are ones that speak to different aspects of my grief—an ever-changing landscape of feelings and thoughts.”
Favand-See reflects, “Writing Only in Falling for Owen is a healing act, an affirmation that he was born and his life holds meaning in this world. And now, through this recording, I am able to share his life and our deep love for him with a wider community, to reach others who walk a journey of loss.”
As a special bonus, the album also features two live recordings from the We Dissent performances in 2022: Witch Trial, by Portland-based composer Stacey Philipps, and When the Dust Settles, by composer Mari Esabel Valverde – both Resonance favorites.
Philipps notes, “Sitting in the audience last year, I was blown away by the live performance of Witch Trial; which was thrillingly anguished and spectacularly sung. I’m delighted that Resonance is including it on this album.”
The CD also includes the solo song Brother Man, written by Historic Alberta House artistic director Vin Shambry and premiered at a 2016 Resonance performance, as well as music by Jake Runestad, Steven Sametz, and Dominick DiOrio. The album celebrates works that inspired a turning point in Resonance Ensemble’s focus as an organization—promoting meaningful social change and building community through powerful artistic experiences.
The official album release is scheduled for October 14th, 2023, in conjunction with a weekend of live performances of works from the recording. Pre-orders are on sale today, with a discount of 10% until Monday, September 25th.
For tickets and information on how to purchase the album, visit www.resonancechoral.org.
Note to Journalists: Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon, composers Renée Favand-See and Stacey Philipps, and Artistic Advisor Shohei Kobayashi 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.
EVENT SUMMARY
EVENT TITLE: Resonance Ensemble Presents: LISTEN
TIME & DATE: October 14th @ 7:30pm | October 15th @ 3:00pm
LOCATION: Lincoln Hall 75 | PSU - 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97201
PRICING: Single tickets on sale to the general public September 20, 2023
($40 general/$30 seniors/$15 artists/students/veterans)
FOR FURTHER READING
About Resonance Ensemble | About Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon
Season 15 Events | Season 15 Featured Artists Page | Season 15 Venues
Our end-of-fiscal-year fundraising campaign begins!
Photos by R. Hadiashar
Today we begin bidding a fond farewell to our 2022/23 season as we look forward to what’s next. Resonance stays busy preparing for next year’s season extravaganza: REVOLUTION 15. A season that brings back the incredible artists who have been part of our growth over the last 15 years, and showcases our continuing commitment to new collaborations with world-class artists. When you donate to Resonance, you are keeping this commitment alive.
Farewell 14: Here's true testament to what this year offered. Check out today's Oregon ArtsWatch piece of Daryl Browne's review of our final concert of the season "Earth's Protection." A couple of our favorite quotes:
“Conductor FitzGibbon’s skill on the podium might just go unnoticed. She is contained, steady and never performs. She serves the music and musicians. But dang, she deserved a standing ovation all her own for her pacing in the Mass. She never allowed the energy to drop between movements, courageously propelling performers through the entire work.
Such a wonderful success, even with the rain, was this entire festival dedicated to our “love of our Planet and all of its People.”
Such purpose.
Photo by R. Hadiashar
Commissioning new works, hosting GRAMMY-award winning artists, and hiring talented singers isn’t cheap – and we can’t do it without your help.
This past year, we have spent more than $75,000 to hire artists, and we’re more than doubling that scope for next season! Help us welcome our exciting 15th anniversary season and donate to our Farewell 14, Hello 15 Campaign.
The campaign runs through June 30th with a goal of $5,000.
As a special thank you for your contribution, all donors will be entered into a drawing to win 15% off of a VIP-for-2 subscription to our 23/24 season!
You have the power to help us launch this exciting new season!
No gift is too small! Your gift of $15 (or $150, or $1,500) helps us move closer to our goal. Don't miss out on your chance to see works performed by your own Resonance artists, alongside Darrell Grant, Bobby McFerrin and more!
From our entire team, THANK YOU!
Resonance announces 15th anniversary season with guest artist Bobby McFerrin and new commission by Darrell Grant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — June 14, 2023
15 years of purpose, artistry and connection.
PORTLAND, OR—The award-winning Resonance Ensemble, under the direction of Founder and Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon, announces its 2023-24 season. REVOLUTION 15: a fifteenth anniversary season that celebrates Resonance’s mission of creating powerful programs that promote meaningful social change. Resonance unveils world premieres, welcomes innovative guest artists including the 10-time GRAMMY award winning Bobby McFerrin, and reprises new works by Resonance-commissioned composers from the past 15 years.
Known as “one of the Northwest’s finest choirs” (Willamette Week), Resonance Ensemble designs its thematic programs in collaboration with community partners to highlight the challenges and opportunities facing our world now.
“We are thrilled to announce our season, Revolution 15,” says Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “We love that it brings back artists who have been part of Resonance’s growth and transformation over the last 15 years, as well as showcasing our continuing commitment to new collaborations with world-class artists like Darrell Grant and Bobby McFerrin.”
Season highlights include:
The release and live concert performance of Resonance Ensemble’s debut album LISTEN
The world premiere of a new commission from popular Portland jazz artist and composer Darrell Grant
A community-building, improvised “CircleSongs” performance by vocal virtuoso Bobby McFerrin, his quartet Motion, Resonance Ensemble musicians, and local high school choir students. McFerrin joins Resonance to play our audiences as his second instrument
A recital of Black art song, curated by Damien Geter, inspired by the Portland Art Museum special exhibit “Black Artists of Oregon”
Regional premieres of works by Melissa Dunphy and Joel Thompson
Conductors Katherine FitzGibbon, Damien Geter, and Shohei Kobayashi
The return of Resonance Ensemble commissions from the past 15 years, with works by Jasmine Barnes, Kenji Bunch, Melissa Dunphy, Renee Favand-See, Damien Geter, Joe Kye, Kimberly Osberg, Judy Rose, Mari Esabel Valverde, and Freddy Vilches
“This is a packed season designed with care, community, and vision,” says board member Nancy Ives. “Seasons like this one are part of the reason I am proud to serve on Resonance’s board and believe so deeply in our mission.”
The full calendar of events can be found below, with more exciting guest appearances, artistic collaborations, and community partnerships being announced later this year. Subscriptions are available TODAY, with multiple subscription options available. Single tickets will go on sale September 1st, 2023.
For information about ticketing and subscriptions, click here.
Full Season Calendar
LISTEN
A CD Release Concert
October 14, 2023 | 7:30 PM
October 15, 2023 | 3:00 PM
Lincoln Hall 75 @ PSU
Join Resonance Ensemble for a performance of the music from our first album, LISTEN. This concert features a collection from the first ten years of Resonance’s innovative commissions and regional premieres—including works by Melissa Dunphy, Dominick DiOrio, Mari Esabel Valverde, Stacey Philipps, Lee Hoiby, Renée Favand-See, and more.
Black Art Song
curated by Damien Geter
February 25, 2024 | 7:30 PM
Resonance Ensemble’s resident Artistic Advisor Damien Geter curates a recital of art song by Black composers, surrounded by – and in conversation with – the artworks of the Portland Art Museum’s “Black Artists of Oregon” exhibit, the first of its kind to consider the work of Black artists collectively in Oregon. Geter is joined by Resonance guest artists, with songs by composers Margaret Bonds, Geter, and more.
Amendments
Righting Our Wrongs
March 16, 2024 | 7:30 PM
March 17, 2024 | 3:00 PM
Amendments features the world premiere commission by Oregon composer Darrell Grant.
Also featured: selected works by Joel Thompson (best known for his opera, The Snowy Day, and powerful choral work Seven Last Words for the Unarmed) and Melissa Dunphy’s (composer of LISTEN), Amendments, a work that “juxtaposes the voices of the founding fathers with the voices of minority women fighting for universal voting rights.”
CircleSongs
with Bobby McFerrin
April 5, 2024 | 7:30 PM (BEAVERTON)
Patricia Reser Center for the Arts
April 6, 2024 | 7:30 PM (PORTLAND)
The Armory at Portland Center Stage
A healing community singing workshop by the world-renowned Bobby McFerrin and his dynamic quartet, Motion, that engages audience participation to change the world—which we will share not only with audiences but with Oregon high school choirs.
Now in his seventies, McFerrin has returned to the stage, performing his Circlesongs, the best kept secret in Berkeley, CA — until now.
Mission 15
A fifteenth anniversary concert
June 8, 2024 | 7:30 PM
The Winningstad Theatre
Our fifteenth anniversary finale concert. We celebrate this special anniversary with a performance of 15 audience-favorite Resonance commissions. This showcase speaks (sings) for itself, highlighting the mission-based art we have championed and the brilliant composers who created it.
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
Become a subscriber to our 15th season and experience “one of the Northwest’s finest choirs” exploring stories through moving, thematic concerts with world-class collaborators!
A range of season subscriptions are now available, including both full-season and customized bundles that allow you to tailor the season to serve your needs. Tickets to individual concerts will go on sale to the public on September 9th, 2023. To order, visit resonancechoral.org or call our box office at (503) 427-8701.
Note to Journalists: Katherine FitzGibbon is available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information on our season or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at liz@resonancechoral.org or by calling 971-212-8034.
About Resonance Ensemble
In its fifteenth 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 Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon:
Katherine FitzGibbon is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Lewis & Clark College, where she conducts and oversees the vibrant voice, choral, and opera areas. In 2014, she was an inaugural winner of the Lorry Lokey Faculty Excellence Award, honoring “inspired teaching, rigorous scholarship, demonstrated leadership, and creative accomplishments,” and in 2019, she received the David Savage Award for “vision and sustained service.” She has also conducted choirs at Harvard, Boston, Cornell, and Clark Universities, and at the University of Michigan and has served on the faculty of Berkshire Choral International.
Dr. FitzGibbon founded Resonance Ensemble in 2009, initially dedicated to thematic, collaborative vocal performances with artistic partners. In the last several years, she and Resonance have shifted their mission, using the same innovative thematic programming approach to amplify voices that have long been silenced, focusing on underrepresented composers and communities. In June of 2019, Chorus America honored Dr. FitzGibbon with the prestigious Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal in recognition of her work with Resonance Ensemble. Chorus America’s press release noted, “As founder and artistic director of Resonance Ensemble, FitzGibbon has captained a bold organizational shift—from its original mission exploring links between music, art, poetry, and theater, to a new focus exclusively on presenting concerts that promote meaningful social change.”
With Resonance, she has collaborated with the Portland Art Museum, Third Angle New Music, Portland Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Lauderdale and Hunter Noack, poet/performer S. Renee Mitchell, the Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra, and many actors, composers, visual artists, and dancers. She has commissioned new works from Darrell Grant, Melissa Dunphy, Renee Favand-See, Damien Geter, Joe Kye, Judy A. Rose, Kenji Bunch, Kimberly Osberg, Freddy Vilches, Vin Shambry, Dr. S. Renee Mitchell, Mari Ésabel Valverde, and Jasmine Barnes.
Dr. FitzGibbon is President-Elect of the National Collegiate Choral Organization, and her choirs have performed at the NCCO, ACDA, and OMEA conferences. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Princeton University, Master of Music degree in conducting from the University of Michigan, and Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting at Boston University. Her research has been presented and published internationally.
CLICK HERE TO MEET OUR 2023-24 Guest Artists
CLICK HERE to peruse our venues for the season
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Earth's Protection: A Concert Reflection
This past weekend, we closed the books on our fourteenth season with our first-ever festival: Earth’s Protection. Despite the rain and cooler weather, community members from all over arrived to Lewis & Clark’s beautiful campus to share in an evening of profound visual art, powerfully vibrant dance, delicious local food and drink, and - of course - a dynamic and beautifully moving program of music by living composers.
PRE-CONCERT FESTIVITIES
The evening started with a stunning array of photographs by local photographer Joe Cantrell, whose brilliant images were given further context by the artist himself as viewers took in the gallery.
Festival-attendees even had the chance to purchase these one-of-a-kind works, taking a piece of the evening home with them—along with the fascinating stories Joe shared all evening!
You can read a wonderful write-up on the profound impact of the gallery from Oregon ArtsWatch by Friderike Heuer here.
Whether festival-goers were taking in the gallery, exploring the fascinating specimens on display with members from Portland Audubon, or partaking in delicious treats from Island Shave Ice, Fuego, Koi Fuision or Booze Trucks, guests were soon beckoned indoors by the Nez Perce drumming and dancing ensemble, Four Directions.
With stunning traditional garb, insightful explanations from leader Harold Paul, and the powerful performance of the drummers and vocalists, the performance was a highlight of the pre-concert activities!
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Photographer Joe Cantrell, joined by poet and traditional storyteller Ed Edmo, began the night’s main event with a visually-impactful land acknowledgement—using a long rope to represent different points in time, culminating in the longest section (spanning the length of the concert hall) showing the vast centuries First Peoples have inhabited this region. This powerful reminder was a perfect beginning for our concert - attendees shared later that this was the clearest, truest land acknowledgment they’ve ever heard. Thank you to Joe and Ed for leading it.
THE CONCERT BEGINS!
COVID had delayed many projects, and while Jasmine Barnes’ work Normal Never Was premiered to the world in video format in 2021, Friday was the first time this piece had been performed for a live audience since it was commissioned. The piece encourages us to consider the opportunity we have to move forward as better human beings to one another than the “normal” we had before the pandemic.
Next on the program, we were pleased to feature composer and Oregon Symphony principal cellist Nancy Ives along with poet Ed Edmo for their work Songs for Celilo - scored for singing cellist.
The work commemorates the indigenous community that lived near Celilo Falls before its intentional flooding in the 1940’s when the Dalles Dam was built. Interpolated with Ed Edmo’s powerful delivery of his original poetry, the solo cello lines beautifully accompany the soaring vocal writing of the same text — drawing out both the hope and pain of the community who lost their beloved home.
Wrapping up the first half of the program, Reena Esmail’s The Tipping Point features a fantastic collaboration with Indian classical percussionist Shrikant Naware. The work juxtaposes traditional Western choral writing with traditional Indian raga patterns and vocalizations. The result is a dynamic and moving work that boldly declares, while we are “balanced on the razor’s edge,” to remember that “light always returns.”
Joined by musicians from Portland’s Fear No Music Ensemble, the second half of the program featured the Oregon premiere of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s work Mass for the Endangered.
The work, divided into six movements, uses a mix of traditional Latin mass texts and original poetry in English by Nathaniel Bellows. Lush and playful orchestration accompanies sparkling melody lines and powerful choral textures.
When the performance concluded, audiences sat silent for nearly thirty seconds before erupting into a standing ovation. It was magical, and we couldn’t have asked for a better end to our season!
DRUM ROLL PLEASE…
Those who attended Friday’s concert were the first to hear the big news we’ll be announcing tomorrow — 15th anniversary 2023-24 season! With special guests that made our audience gasp in delight, this is an announcement you will NOT want to miss!
Unless otherwise credited, all photos in this post are by Rachel Hadiashar
Writer A. Mimi Sei Reflects on the Requiem
“Through it all, I remain hopeful that this and similar works will help America see and examine how the continued oppression of black and brown peoples shows up in her reflection. ”
A. Mimi Sei performs her work “Shout Out” at “Portland Protests” | March 2023 at Alberta House
A. Mimi Sei on a Resonance panel discussion with composer Kenji Bunch
On Sunday, May 21st, Resonance Ensemble unveils the premiere screening of Around the Requiem, a new film centering a conversation between artists and performers from An African American Requiem and moderated by Dr. S. Renee Mitchell. Filmed days before the premiere of this historic work, the film acts as a capstone to a series of materials inspired by An African American Requiem.
We celebrate the work’s one-year anniversary this month not only with the film premiere, but with additional reflections on those involved in its creation. You can read Damien Geter and Katherine FitzGibbon’s reflections here and filmmaker Kenny Hamlett’s here.
Today’s reflection comes from A. Mimi Sei—a writer, memoirist, and social justice advocate who authored the foreword to An African American Requiem’s score. Mimi has appeared with us this season as a guest poet for Portland Protests, and joins us again for the premiere film screening on Sunday as a panelist.
A. Mimi Sei | Reflecting on the Requiem
Mimi speaking with co-artistic advisor Shohei Kobayashi.
I knew when Damien called me into his classroom to hear the first concept of one of the movements that this work would be monumental. When he asked me to write the foreword, I paused but was honored. There’d been no other like it, so I did not know from where I could draw inspiration, but I hoped for divine direction. I did interview Damien and gleanings pointed to his respect for Ida B, Wells and James Baldwin. With that in mind, I wrote what spoke to my heart. The significance of the work moved me.
Mimi with singer and composer Judy A. Rose, who performed on both the Portland premiere and Washington DC performances of the Requiem.
I was also driven to do it justice, because of the significance of it, especially in these times. His calling to this arrangement is remarkably pertinent. We see the persistence of bigotry even as we are on our knees fighting this elusive enemy—COVID. Heavy shadows and difficult realities continue to overcast the light that is Black America.
Through it all, I remain hopeful that this and similar works will help America see and examine how the continued oppression of black and brown peoples shows up in her reflection. Racism and injustice tarnish the American tapestry, and this Requiem might just be one of the agents through which we begin to examine the stains, in an effort to eliminate them.
It honors many lost to injustice, taken so suddenly, some unaccounted for, and others completely forsaken. Damien remembers them. This Requiem holds such an important marker for us. It is no dirge; it is instead a clarion call for us to commit to continued activism, to stand up for the many we have lost, and to stand in the gap for those who continue to suffer at the hands of injustice.
Listen, experience it, and be a part of this light that illuminates a path to an appreciation for our shared humanity.
Mimi chats with singer DeReau K. Farrar after the premiere of her work at Portland Protests.
All photos in this post are by Rachel Hadiashar
