Arts Madness is Back!
PORTLAND, OR — Resonance Ensemble announces the return of their March community initiative: Arts Madness! Founded in support of the vibrant arts scene here in Portland, Resonance and over a dozen other local arts organizations have come together to offer discounts on shows, merch, and more throughout the month of March.
"More than ever, local arts organizations need local support,” shares Liz Bacon Brownson, Director of Marketing for Resonance Ensemble. “Spending with intention helps to shape the world we want to see—and Arts Madness is for all who want to see the vibrant arts scene in Portland continue to flourish.”
From opera and chamber music to live theatre and immersive experiences, Arts Madness aims to encourage arts lovers from all over PDX to further explore our region’s arts scene.
“It is always such a delight to participate in Arts Madness —aka the arts fans version of spring sports season—alongside our performing arts friends, all thanks to the vision and efforts of Resonance Ensemble!” shares Nicole Lane, Marketing & Communications Director for Chamber Music Northwest.
Portland Opera is also thrilled to once again partner with Arts Madness. “Building community is at the core of our mission,” says Artistic Director Alfrelynn Roberts, “and Arts Madness allows us to broaden our reach and introduce new folks to our art form. Bravi, Arts Madness!"
“Portland Playhouse is grateful to be building community through mutual support with this group of organizations,” reflects Portland Playhouse Marketing & Communications Director Cassie Greer. “We know that arts have incredible healing power, and we hope this Arts Madness also brings some more Wellness to our world.”
Arts Madness 2026 includes SEVENTEEN EVENTS from over a dozen local favorites:
A Notion, A Scream
Cappella Romana
Chamber Music Northwest
Fear No Music
45th Parallel Universe
In Medio
In Mulieribus
Milagro Theatre
Portland Baroque Orchestra
Portland Center Stage
Portland Opera
Portland Playhouse
Renegade Opera
Resonance Ensemble
Third Angle New Music
“One of the best things about living and creating art in Portland is the way our arts organizations support one another year after year,” says Resonance Ensemble staff member Kimberly Osberg, Arts Madness coordinator. “This is a great way to explore offerings from our community you might not otherwise check out, and we hope audiences will pair their favorites with something new to them!”
How It Works
This year, discounts are more accessible than ever—simply find the event you want to attend on our Arts Madness page, click the link, and apply the listed discount codes at check out!
See the full calendar of events and get your discount codes at the link below:
New Release: “Safe Harbor” Out Now!
“This is more than an album — it is lived experiences transformed into sound. ”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reflect. Reimagine. Resonance Ensemble’s Safe Harbor Arrives on Two CDs
12 new choral commissions bring stories of sanctuary, resilience, and hope to life.
PORTLAND, OR —January 30, 2026 — Acclaimed choral ensemble Resonance Ensemble presents Safe Harbor, a collection of 12 world-premiere commissions exploring sanctuary, grief, resilience, and hope. In a moment when the world seeks connection and reflection, these works offer a space to pause, engage, and be inspired.
Since its founding, Resonance Ensemble has commissioned nearly 20 works, often addressing social justice and contemporary issues. This second album continues the ensemble’s commitment to showcasing the artistic and emotional power of choral music from a broad spectrum of perspectives.
The composers and poets of Safe Harbor
Safe Harbor features compositions and poetry from nationally and locally recognized artists, including Jasmine Barnes, Kenji Bunch, Cecille Elliott, Damien Geter, Darrell Grant, Joe Kye, Judy A. Rose, Mari Esabel Valverde, Sonya Renee Taylor, Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, and James DePreist. Narration and poetry are provided by S. Renee Mitchell and A. Mimi Sei, and instrumental contributions include Pacific Northwest flutist Adam Eccleston, pianist Hannah Brewer, violinists Gisela Rodriguez Fernandez and Ryan Downs, violist Lisa Zweben, and cellists Valdine Mishkin and Nancy Ives.
“Each piece on Safe Harbor tells a story,” said Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “These commissions allow composers to share the experiences, ideas, and messages that matter to them, creating music that connects, challenges, and inspires listeners.”
The album is named after Joe Kye Safe Harbor, which reflects on his experiences as an immigrant and the ongoing humanitarian crises at our borders.
“Safe Harbor is my personal exploration of movement and migration, and a vision for a society that uplifts voices of those unheard and unsupported,” Kye said.
Conductors FitzGibbon, Geter, and Kobayashi
Conducted by FitzGibbon, associate conductor Shohei Kobayashi, and artistic advisor and composer Damien Geter, Safe Harbor captures the passionate interpretations of new music that audiences expect from Resonance Ensemble, making it a landmark release in the choral world.
Safe Harbor is available now on Aerocade Music. Review copies, high-resolution images, and interview opportunities with composers and performers are available upon request.
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It’s more than a theme—it’s a promise.
Through Resonance, we are reminded of the power of the choral art and the ways in which it tells the stories of our lives. — Daryl Browne, Oregon ArtsWatch
Dear Friend of Resonance,
The world is loud. We hear the news, the debates, the clamor of everyday life. Music—the sound of live music—has a way of cutting through it. It reminds us who we are, what we care about, and the world we hope to build.
This season, Resonance Ensemble presents The Sound of Us. It’s more than a theme—it’s a promise: that our performances will be powerful and heartfelt; that the voices you hear are some of the finest in the Pacific Northwest; that everything we do is rooted in our community of collaborators—and that you, our supporters, are an essential part of this sound. None of it happens without you.
What is the Sound of Us?
It’s the voices of our city, our region, and our nation, brought to life in music.
We put composers at the forefront of every program, commissioning visionary new music and partnering with extraordinary artists—Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw, Sweet Honey in the Rock®, and others. This is new repertoire you won’t hear anywhere else, performed by musicians at the top of their craft.
It’s world-class recordings.
This January, we release Safe Harbor, a new album featuring twelve Resonance commissions from composers Jasmine Barnes, Kenji Bunch, Cecille Elliott, Damien Geter, Darrell Grant, Joe Kye, Kimberly R. Osberg, Judy A. Rose, and Mari Esabel Valverde. Each piece reflects our commitment to artistry, community, and truth.
It’s moments still to come.
Our season continues with a world premiere commission from Sweet Honey in the Rock in January, a West Coast premiere of a landmark collection of vocal music by Indigenous composers in March, and a poignant musical reflection on Asian American stories of political formation in June. Every performance is a collaboration—with artists, communities, and you.
YOU are the Sound of Us.
Every gift pays artists, supports visionary composers, and shares this music with the world.
Will you help us raise $20,000 by Dec. 31 to carry The Sound of Us into 2026 and beyond?
On behalf of the Resonance Ensemble Board of Directors and staff, thank you for your ongoing support. With your gift, the music doesn’t just rise above the noise—it lights the path forward.
Sincerely,
Katherine FitzGibbon
Artistic Director
Reflecting on The Sound of Us
Guest artist Bora Yoon, alongside Conductor Katherine FitzGibbon and musicians from Resonance Ensemble and Fear No Music take their final bows as the audience applauds. (Photo: Liz Bacon Brownson, via cell phone)
Check out the Oregon ArtsWatch review!
“Beams of Light: Resonance Ensemble and Fear No Music Sound Like Portland.”
On Friday, October 24th, Resonance and Fear No Music presented a joint program in partnership with Portland Public Schools as part of the Oregon Symphony’s Sounds Like Portland Festival. The performance, comprised entirely of composers and musicians from our city, took place at the newly-renovated Benson High School Auditorium and featured special guest artist Bora Yoon.
The program was recorded and will soon be available online for free, thanks to the generous support of the Resonance Ensemble Access Project (REAP). In the meantime, explore the gallery below to relive the evening — click any image to see more context!
All photos by Resonance’s resident photographer, Rachel Hadiashar, unless otherwise noted.
UP NEXT FOR RESONANCE | SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK!
From our last performance with Sweet Honey in 2024
Resonance welcomes back the iconic a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, known for their singular blend of vocal power, spiritual grounding, and deep-rooted calls for justice. These matriarchs of musical resistance return for two special performances—culminating in the world premiere of a new work commissioned especially for this season, created for Resonance and Sweet Honey to perform together.
The program opens with Resonance Ensemble, followed by a featured set by Sweet Honey in the Rock, and concludes with the debut of this powerful new collaborative piece.
Saturday, January 24 2026 | 7:30 pm | Newmark Theatre
Sunday, January 25, 2026 | 3:00 pm | The Reser
RESONANCE & FEAR NO MUSIC PRESENT “THE SOUND OF US” WITH SPECIAL GUEST BORA YOON
RESONANCE ENSEMBLE AND FEAR NO MUSIC PRESENT
THE SOUND OF US, CELEBRATING INNOVATIVE LOCAL COMPOSERS,
WITH SPECIAL GUEST BORA YOON
Part of the Oregon Symphony’s Sounds Like Portland Festival and
presented in collaboration with Portland Public Schools
PORTLAND, OR – Resonance Ensemble and Fear No Music open their 2025-26 seasons with THE SOUND OF US. Part of the Oregon Symphony’s Sounds Like Portland festival, this one-night only program showcases visionary works by composers living and creating in Portland today, including special guest performer/composer Bora Yoon and composers Cecille Elliott, Renée Favand-See, Sydney Guillaume, Lisa Neher, Stacey Philipps, Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw, and Joan Szymko.
The performance marks the first professional concert at the newly-renovated Benson Polytechnic High School Auditorium, a beautiful historic concert hall that once served as Portland’s Civic Theatre. The performance will engage young musicians through partnerships with Portland Public Schools and provide a platform for local voices.
“Resonance prides itself on placing Portland-based artists at the foreground of our artistic planning,” says Resonance Ensemble Artistic Director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon. “We’re thrilled to present this performance with Fear No Music, who share this goal – they are the perfect partners for this Portland love fest.”
The program features special guest Korean-American, composer/performer Bora Yoon, Assistant Professor of Music at Reed College and a 2025 Koussevitzky Music Commission recipient, whose genre-defying performances blend classical voice, electronics, instruments of various cultures and centuries, and immersive media. Yoon has performed nationally from Carnegie Hall to the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, and she now calls Portland home.
“I have admired Resonance Ensemble and Fear no Music for a long time for their commitment to living artists and their vital role in Portland’s vibrant music community,” shares Bora Yoon. “I love this city, and I am thrilled to be sharing my work as part of this exciting first concert of the season.”
The concert will feature works ranging from Yoon’s atmospheric vocal works to indie pop-inspired a cappella repertoire and new instrumental and vocal chamber music, with texts that advocate for connection and for a better world.
“Fear No Music is thrilled to be part of this community-driven collaboration,” shares FNM Executive Director, Monica Ohuchi. “This evening will be a real celebration of Portland voices–instrumentalists, vocalists, and organizations alike!”
“Stand in the middle of the Rose City this fall and listen… that wonderful blend of local creativity, innovation, and collaboration—Sounds Like Portland, right?”
The newly renovated Benson High School Auditorium
Marking the fifth season of Resonance’s partnership with Portland Public Schools, and continuing Fear No Music’s long-time commitment to working with student artists, this concert provides an access point for young audiences. Resonance and Fear No Music will offer free tickets to PPS students and families, and collaborate with educators to develop curriculum and artistic engagement opportunities connected to the concert’s themes and creators.
“Arts experiences are essential for all PPS students and families,” says PPS Head of Visual & Performing Arts, Kristen Brayson. “We are grateful to Resonance and Fear No Music for providing access and engaging directly with students, advancing deep learning and equity across our schools.”
This performance is part of the Oregon Symphony’s Sounds Like Portland Festival, a three-week celebration of local music with concerts and events happening across the city, highlighting Portland’s vibrant local arts scene.
Single tickets for The Sound of Us on sale now.
For tickets and more information, visit resonancechoral.org.
The Sound of Us
Presented by Resonance Ensemble & Fear No Music in partnership with Portland Public Schools as part of the Oregon Symphony’s Sounds Like Portland Festival.
Friday, October 24 | 7:30pm
Benson High School Auditorium
Featured Artists Include:
Bora Yoon, special guest artist
Katherine FitzGibbon, conductor
Resonance Ensemble treble voices
Keiko Araki & Emily Cole, violin
Kenji Bunch, viola
Nancy Ives, cello
Monica Ohuchi, piano
Discounts available for seniors, students, artists, and Portland Public School students & families.
Single Tickets on sale September 17!
PORTLAND, OR — Resonance Ensemble announces single tickets for their 2025–26 season, The Sound of Us. Season 17 centers music as a force for identity, justice, and connection. Through four bold programs of new and newly imagined vocal music, the award-winning ensemble explores themes of identity, solidarity, and belonging—presenting works that respond to the world we live in and the stories we carry as a community.
“Resonance is committed to presenting music that reflects the world around us. This season we’re amplifying voices that inspire change, honor resilience, and remind us of our shared humanity. We can’t wait to welcome audiences into these powerful conversations through music.”
Highlights include:
OCTOBER 24, 2025 | The Sound of Us
Part of the Oregon Symphony’s Sounds Like Portland festival and presented in partnership with Fear No Music, this concert at Benson High School Auditorium showcases bold works by Portland-based composers, including Stacey Philipps, Sydney Guillaume, Cecille Elliott, and Pulitzer Prize-winner, Caroline Shaw. Musicians from Fear No Music join Resonance in this celebration of local voices. Special guest Bora Yoon brings a genre-defying performance blending classical voice, electronics, and immersive media. Also in collaboration with Portland Public Schools, Resonance provides free tickets for PPS students and families and works with educators to connect classroom learning with the concert’s themes.
JANUARY 2026 | Sweet Honey in the Rock Returns
The matriarchs of musical resistance return! Resonance is thrilled to welcome back the iconic a cappella ensemble, Sweet Honey in the Rock, celebrated for their powerful vocals, spiritual depth, and unwavering commitment to justice. Witness the WORLD PREMIERE of a newly-commissioned work from this legendary vocal ensemble, created for Resonance and Sweet Honey to perform together.
MARCH 2026 | The North American Indigenous Songbook
Celebrating Native Voices: A West Coast Premiere. This landmark collection receives its West Coast premiere, showcasing a selection of vocal works by Indigenous composers from across the U.S. and Canada. Curated and performed by pianist Timothy Long (Muscogee Creek and Choctaw), the North American Indigenous Songbook expands and uplifts Native art song. Special guest Danielle Jagelski (Oneida Nation and Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe) leads the performance of her new work Holy Ground, alongside powerful pieces exploring resilience, identity, and cultural legacy.
JUNE 2026 | A Grain of Sand, Revisited
The season closes with A Grain of Sand, Revisited—a reflection on Asian American political identity through music and storytelling. In collaboration with Minneapolis-based A Thousand Tongues, the program blends selections from the groundbreaking 1973 protest album A Grain of Sand with choral works by contemporary Asian and Asian American composers, including Shruthi Rajasekar, Tracy Wong, and Saunder Choi. Co-curated and conducted by ATT Artistic Director Paolo Debuque, conductor Adrianna Tam, and Resonance Associate Conductor Shohei Kobayashi, the concert bridges generations of activism and artistry.
THIS IS THE SOUND OF US
Make it yours. Subscribe or purchase tickets now at resonancechoral.org.
Single Tickets available to the general public beginning September 17, 2025
This is THE SOUND OF US
Resonance Ensemble’s 17th season centers music as a force for identity, justice, and connection.
PORTLAND, OR—What does it mean to be part of a community—as a Portlander, as an American? Resonance Ensemble’s 2025–26 season doesn’t offer easy answers—it opens up conversations. Through four bold programs of new and newly-imagined vocal music, the award-winning ensemble explores themes of identity, solidarity, and belonging, presenting works that respond to the world we live in and the stories we carry as a community.
This is Season 17: The Sound of Us—a season of world premieres, landmark collaborations, and voices rising for justice, compassion, and truth.
“Artistic excellence is at the core of who we are—but music can do more than simply sound beautiful,” says Resonance Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “It can stir hearts, open minds, and create space for change—and that’s exactly what we set out to do this season.”
Bora Yoon
SOUNDS LIKE PORTLAND
The season opens October 24 with The Sound of Us, part of the Oregon Symphony’s Sounds Like Portland festival. Presented at Benson High School Auditorium, this concert showcases bold works by composers living and creating in Portland today, including Stacey Philipps, Sydney Guillaume, Cecille Elliott, and Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw.
The program also features special guest Bora Yoon, whose genre-defying performances blend classical voice, electronics, and immersive media. Musicians from Fear No Music join the celebration, creating a rich, collaborative soundscape—a musical snapshot of Portland right now.
In partnership with Portland Public Schools, this concert will serve as an access point for young audiences: Resonance will provide free tickets for PPS students and families, and work with educators to develop curriculum and artistic engagement opportunities connected to the concert’s themes and creators.
Sweet Honey in the Rock
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK RETURNS!
In January, Resonance Ensemble proudly welcomes back the legendary vocal group Sweet Honey in the Rock—revered for their unmatched blend of rich harmonies, spiritual depth, and unwavering calls for justice. These matriarchs of musical resistance return for two unforgettable performances, featuring the world premiere of a powerful new work commissioned by Resonance and created in collaboration with Sweet Honey.
The evening begins with a set by Resonance Ensemble, followed by a featured performance by Sweet Honey in the Rock. Together, they close the program with the debut of their newly commissioned piece—a stirring celebration of solidarity and shared purpose.
Timothy Long
A CANON RECLAIMED
In March, Resonance partners with acclaimed conductor and pianist Timothy Long to present the West Coast premiere of the North American Indigenous Songbook. A citizen of the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town of the Muscogee Creek and Choctaw nations, Long is Artistic and Music Director of Opera at the Eastman School of Music and assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera. He has been a leading voice in expanding the canon of Native art song—bringing forward powerful vocal works by Indigenous composers from across the U.S. and Canada. Following a celebrated New York debut, this Portland performance marks only the second-ever presentation of the Songbook.
Also featured is Portland composer/conductor Danielle Jagelski (Oneida Nation and Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe), who will conduct the premiere of her newest choral work, Holy Ground, alongside other pieces that reflect themes of cultural resilience, ancestral memory, and Indigenous identity.
SINGING OUR STORIES
The season closes in June with A Grain of Sand, Revisited—a poignant reflection on Asian American political formation through music and storytelling.
In collaboration with A Thousand Tongues—a Minneapolis-based arts organization dedicated to uplifting Asian American voices—this concert blends past and present, featuring selections from the seminal 1973 protest album, A Grain of Sand, alongside choral works by contemporary Asian and Asian American composers including Shruthi Rajasekar, Tracy Wong, and Saunder Choi.
The program is co-curated and conducted by ATT Artistic Director Paolo Debuque, Adrianna Tam, and Resonance Associate Conductor Shohei Kobayashi.
Paolo Debuque, Adrianna Tam, and Resonance Associate Conductor Shohei Kobayashi.
RESONANCE, EVERYWHERE
This season, Resonance Ensemble sharpens its focus on what makes the musical experience truly meaningful—both on and off the stage. With the highly-anticipated release of Safe Harbor–a new album of commissioned works by 11 composers and poets, alongside pop-up performances, post-show happy hours, and intimate gatherings–the ensemble reaffirms its role as a creative force throughout the city. Every element is intentionally designed to extend the impact of the music and deepen audience connection.
This is the Sound of Us.
Make it yours.
Subscribe now at resonancechoral.org/subscribe-to-season-17
Single tickets on sale September 2, 2025
Note to Journalists: Katherine FitzGibbon, Shohei Kobayashi, and featured guests are available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information on our season or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at liz@ohcreativepdx.com or by calling 971-212-8034.
Why Resonance. Why Now.
At a time when arts organizations are being asked to justify their place in an increasingly uncertain world, Resonance Ensemble stands firm—using music to elevate stories, stir hearts, and move communities to action.
Our mission is clear: to create powerful, collaborative performances that center underrepresented voices and invite audiences to engage deeply—with the music and with each other. Whether it’s through new commissions by living composers, partnerships with poets and activists, or performances that open space for justice and healing, Resonance redefines what a vocal ensemble can do.
But we can’t do it without you.
As we close our fiscal year on June 30, your support directly powers:
Fair pay for artists
Performances that move audiences to think, feel, and act
Championing new works by living composers whose stories need to be heard
Why Resonance? Because we don’t just sing about the world—we sing to change it.
Why now? Because this moment demands it.
Help this work live and grow. Make your gift today.
P.S. Every donation made before June 30 helps us begin next season from a place of strength.
Programming with Purpose. Exceptional Artistry. Tangible Connection
Resonance & ONN Stand United as NEA Withdraws Support
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Joint Statement from Resonance Ensemble and Orchestra Nova Northwest
PORTLAND, OR — May 9, 2025 | Following the recent performance of Resonance Nova—a collaborative concert rooted in themes of truth, equity, and peace—Orchestra Nova Northwest (ONN) and Resonance Ensemble were informed that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has retroactively withdrawn a major project grant that helped fund the concert.
(L to R) Shohei Kobayashi, Resonance Ensemble, Kathy FitzGibbon, Resonance Ensemble, Steven Byess, Orchestra Nova Northwest
This decision reflects a disturbing national trend: the targeting of public arts funding – including for projects that confront injustice.
“Resonance Nova highlighted the challenges of our time, but also called all of us to action—reminding us of music’s transformative power to inspire empathy, demand justice, and instill compassion,” said Kevin Irving, Executive Director of Orchestra Nova Northwest. “It was everything the arts should be: deeply connected to what makes us human—the need to care for one another, to listen, to reflect, and to act. To lose public funding for this kind of work is alarming—but it won’t stop us.”
In a gesture of solidarity, Resonance Ensemble will donate 50% of ticket sales from its upcoming We Are Still Here performance (June 1) to Orchestra Nova Northwest over the next week. This act of support underscores the strength of Portland’s artistic community—and the importance of standing together when the value of art is challenged.
“We will continue to raise our voices,” said Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon, Artistic Director of Resonance Ensemble. “We stand with our partners at ONN and with everyone who believes in the power of music to tell the truth and move people to action. This is at the core of our values as an organization and why we do this work.”
ONN continues its season with TESTIMONY (May 17 & 18), a concert featuring acclaimed pianist Yaron Kohlberg in a program that speaks to resilience and resistance through powerful works by Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
Together, Resonance Ensemble and Orchestra Nova Northwest reaffirm what the arts community has long known: art is essential, not optional—and in the face of growing resistance to truth-telling in the arts, solidarity will always be louder.
Both organizations urge the public to continue supporting the arts in all its forms: donate to local organizations, buy tickets, amplify this message—and take action. One powerful step anyone can take is to contact their members of Congress through the Arts Action Fund—an easy tool to advocate for public funding for the arts.
For more information about ONN’s TESTIMONY head to novanw.org
For more information about RE’s We Are Still Here, head to resonancechoral.org
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Note to Journalists: Kevin Irving and Kathy FitzGibbon are available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information on our season or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at media@novanw.org, info@resonancechoral.org, or by calling 971-212-8034.
About Orchestra Nova Northwest (ONN) —Playing a critical role in the artistic landscape of the Portland Metro area, ONN provides affordable and comfortable concert environments for audiences of all kinds, while also providing competitive, creative jobs and opportunities for the area’s leading freelance professionals, music educators, and newly established conservatory-trained musicians. As the only orchestra that performs regularly in East County, ONN continues to invest in communities and areas in our region that have been historically under-represented and complements its concert programming with multiple educational and outreach initiatives aimed at enlarging the audience for symphonic music in our region. Read more here.
About Resonance Ensemble — Now in its sixteenth season, Resonance Ensemble is a professional vocal ensemble based in Portland, Oregon, known for curating bold, thematic concerts that inspire social change. Led by Artistic Director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon, Resonance champions underrepresented voices—amplifying composers, poets, and collaborators too often excluded from the stage. Described by Willamette Week as “one of the Northwest’s finest choirs,” Resonance brings emotional depth and technical excellence to programs that span genres and generations. The ensemble regularly commissions new work that reflects the complexity of today’s world, with recent collaborators including Jasmine Barnes, Kenji Bunch, Joe Kye, A. Mimi Sei, and Caroline Shaw. Read more here.
WE ARE STILL HERE
RESONANCE ENSEMBLE and PORTLAND ASSEMBLY CENTER PROJECT present “WE ARE STILL HERE” at the VANPORT MOSAIC FESTIVAL
An afternoon of music, theatre, and movement, spotlighting the history of the Portland Assembly Center where nearly 4,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated.
“Eighty three years later, on This Land...We Still Sing America.”
On Sunday, June 1st at 3:00 pm, as the culminating event of the 10th Annual Vanport Mosaic Festival (May 17 - June 1), Resonance Ensemble and Vanport Mosaic present We Are Still Here—an immersive site-specific performance at the Portland Expo Center, the former site of Japanese American incarceration during World War II.
This powerful afternoon brings together the award-winning voices of Resonance Ensemble under its Associate Conductor Shohei Kobayashi; the world premiere of a new commission by Kenji Bunch; and the Portland Assembly Center Project’s unique blend of poetry, movement, and narratives devised by Chisao Hata, a third-generation Japanese American artist and cultural organizer, in collaboration with actor and director Heath Hyun Houghton, amplifying the words and memories of Japanese Americans incarcerated at this historic site. Through song, spoken word, and embodied storytelling, We Are Still Here confronts the legacy of injustice and the urgent need to reckon with this chapter of Portland’s shared history.
Portland Expo Center
THE HISTORY
More than 120,000 Japanese Americans—most of them U.S. citizens—were forcibly removed from their homes and unjustly incarcerated during World War II. This mass incarceration was authorized by Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, which gave the military the power to exclude and detain people of Japanese ancestry without due process.
In Portland, the Pacific International Livestock Exposition Center was quickly converted into the Portland Assembly Center, one of 15 temporary detention sites used to confine Japanese Americans before they were sent to more permanent concentration camps like Minidoka in Idaho. From May to September 1942, approximately 3,676 Japanese and Japanese Americans from Oregon and southwest Washington were held in overcrowded, inhumane makeshift conditions at what is now known as the Portland Expo Center. We Are Still Here activates this historic space through music, poetry, movement, and theater.
THE PERFORMANCE AND ARTISTIC COLLABORATION
Commissioned composer, Kenji Bunch
This collaborative performance brings together Resonance Ensemble and the Portland Assembly Center Project to offer a layered reflection on memory, displacement, and collective reckoning. The Portland Assembly Center Project's original work is the culmination of three years of community-centered process and creative development. Weaving together reader’s theater, movement, archival materials, and survivor testimonies, the Portland Assembly Center Project seeks to reclaim the Expo Center as a space for remembrance, resistance, and healing.
“The weaving of community taking place in the creation of We Are Still Here is important work,” says Kobayashi. “I am inspired by Chisao and Heath and their vision for telling these stories — especially as we witness and cry out against the authoritarian rise in abductions by ICE and the increasing population of prisoners at inhumane detention centers. It is critical that we grapple with the connections between this history and our current struggles.”
The musical elements of the program by Resonance Ensemble, directed by Associate Conductor Shohei Kobayashi, include works by Eric Tuan, Toru Takemitsu, Ayanna Woods, and Caroline Shaw, alongside the world premiere of On This Land, a double-choir composition by Kenji Bunch, setting an original poem by Chisao Hata.
Community Weaver & Portland Assembly Center Project Creator, Chisao Hata
“It’s a huge honor for me to work with Resonance Ensemble and to be a part of Vanport Mosaic’s program to close this year’s festival,” says Bunch. “As a Japanese-American, it’s particularly meaningful to be involved in the important work of memory activism for our community. I feel strongly that only through learning and understanding our shared past can we heal and move forward together, and the concert on June 1st will be an important step in this process.”
Hata, whose parents were incarcerated at Poston, Arizona, draws from her family’s experience. Her piece incorporates poetry by Lawson Inada, Ken Yoshikawa, and Hata herself, with music by Joe Kye and a special appearance by Toshiko Namioka, honoring the lived experiences of survivors and their descendants.
“I am who I am because of Executive Order 9066,” says Hata. “It shaped my life, isolated me from the community, and denied my parents and so many Japanese Americans their dignity and rights. Who might I have become if racism hadn’t impacted my life so deeply?”
A CULMINATING WEEKEND OF THE VANPORT MOSAIC FESTIVAL
We Are Still Here concludes the final weekend of the 10th Vanport Mosaic Festival, marking a decade of memory activism dedicated to amplifying silenced histories and celebrating resilience, solidarity, and radical imagination.
Over two weeks (May 17 - June 1, 2025), the festival honors the past and present experiences of communities of color impacted by displacement, exclusion, and systemic injustice.
On Saturday, May 31, Vanport Mosaic hosts a day of reclamation and reactivation at two key historic sites: Delta Park, the former site of Vanport, and the Portland Expo Center, once the Portland Assembly Center. Through tours, performances, pop-up exhibits, story circles, film screenings, and a memory activism fair, the day acknowledges the layered histories and ongoing legacies of displacement and resilience within Portland’s Indigenous, Black, and Japanese American communities.
That evening, Chamber Music Northwest and the Portland Japanese Garden will present a concert featuring Kenji Bunch, George Takei, and works by Andy Akiho and Paul Chihara—offering another powerful reflection on Japanese American history through music.
“This is not just a performance. It’s a declaration. It’s a reminder that the land remembers even when the official record tries to forget,” says Laura Lo Forti, co-founder and director of Vanport Mosaic. “We Are Still Here is memory activism in action. It is a ceremony, a reckoning, and a refusal to let erased histories stay buried. We return to this site not to reenact the past, but to confront it, name it, and make space for healing.”
For tickets to We Are Still Here, click here.
For more on the 10th annual Vanport Mosaic Festival visit VanportFestival10
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
WHAT: WE ARE STILL HERE
WHEN: SUNDAY | JUNE 1, 2025 | 3 PM
WHERE: Portland Expo Center | Hall A | 2060 Marine Drive W | Portland, OR 97217
TICKET INFORMATION:
$35 General Admission
$15 Student/Working Artist/Veteran
$5 Arts for All (available at the door only)
Click here to purchase tickets
Note to Journalists: Katherine FitzGibbon, Shohei Kobayashi, Kenji Bunch, Laura Lo Forti, Chisao Hata, and featured guests are available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information on our season or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at liz@ohcreativepdx.com or by calling 971-212-8034.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS
Vanport Mosaic Festival and the Portland Assembly Center Project are made possible by the Autzen Foundation, Marie Lamfrom Foundation, Oregon Historical Society, Metro, and Travel Portland.
The performance and premieres by Resonance Ensemble are made possible by the City of Portland Office of the Arts, Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Community Foundation, Oregon Cultural Trust, Metro, Regional Arts & Culture Council, and Ronni Lacroute.
