Music professor receives praise for contributions to Portland’s vocal scene
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Katherine FitzGibbon, director of choral activities, has received praise from local media for her work as the conductor and artistic director of Resonance Ensemble, a Portland professional choir.
Lauded for her enthusiasm and crisp direction of the unique vocal ensemble, FitzGibbon credits the talented Resonance singers with the choir’s success.
“I’m trying to encourage beauty, intonation, and absolute expression in everything that we are doing. So I don’t shy away from risk taking and big gestures,” she told Oregon Music News. “It helps to have some of the best singers in the Northwest in the Resonance Ensemble. They are the kind of people who can do anything. It’s like having a wonderful sports car. They can make every piece special.”
FitzGibbon is also receiving attention for her role in creating engaging performances filled with a wide-range of pieces that resonate with art, politics, literature, history, and the community as artistic director of the ensemble.
FitzGibbon’s impressive efforts shine both in the Portland community and on campus. In her time teaching at Lewis & Clark, FitzGibbon has helped to grow the college’s choral program from 40 students in one choir to 150 students in three different choirs. Learn more about her work at Lewis & Clark in The Chronicle.
The Resonance Ensemble continues its 2010-11 season with two performances, “Music and Memory” in February and “Blessed Unions” in April.
Recent media appearances by FitzGibbon:
- The Oregonian: Classical review: Hectic and haunting performance shows what Resonance Ensemble can do
- Oregon Music News: Katherine FitzGibbon and the Resonance Ensemble program new themes into Portland’s vocal scene
- The Oregonian: 10 Indie Adventures: Quirky performing groups explore lively places outside mass culture
- AllClassical FM radio: “Northwest Previews”
Resonance Ensemble performance video:
Get a taste for the choir’s work in the following video, filmed at the fall concert of the Resonance Ensemble.
*Camille Tapia ’11 contributed to this story.
