STACEY PHILIPPS
Composer
I like to collaborate and communicate | I like telling stories with the complexity, nuance, and metaphor of music | I like to think about what intrigues and entices performers and audiences | I like to gather information, brainstorm, let ideas percolate, and receive and give feedback |
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I like to explore the grey areas of life, where questions are plentiful and answers are questionable | I like poetry, essays, news, fairy tales, personal anecdotes, courtroom drama, biographies, declarations, accusations, debates, justice, daily minutiae, anniversaries, adventures, mathematical schemes, conflict, resolution, suspension, animation, translation, truth, lies, observations, hypotheses, discoveries, and pure conjecture (and the Oxford comma) | I like lyricism, breath, blending, and the magic of phrasing | I like dissonance, intensity, and contrast |
I like rhythmic expectation, change, and trickiness | I like messing things up and fixing them up again (or not) | (When things are really messed up, I also like baking, because I know that's always going to turn out well) | I like how overtones can give goosebumps |
I love the infinite spectrum of colors and timbres of the human voice and acoustic instruments | I love beauty, surprise, humor, poignancy, silliness, spectacle, pathos, banter, curiosity, and deeply felt emotions | I love finding out if what I thought and wrote and described is what you saw and understood and performed and made your own | I love to make things and watch the metamorphosis from notion to idea to notation to rehearsal to concert |
I love the ephemeral thrill of live performance right here, right now, and never again | I love the chance for magic and connection at every concert | Let's make some music |
About
Stacey Philipps writes music to explore human experiences, lean into dissonance, and share vibrations with those on the stage and in the audience. Drawing inspiration from mythology, documentaries, fairy tales, current and historical events, personal narratives, and poetry, along with modal harmonies, folk songs, Renaissance polyphony, hymns, shape note music, and the melodic and rhythmic elements of the natural and constructed world around her, this “…rising star,” is one of “…Portland’s most forward-thinking composers,” who is “…establishing a new normal of what will someday be called early 21st-century classical music.”
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An early- and new-music devotée, Philipps is also a multi-instrumentalist and lifelong singer currently in the alto section of the Oregon Repertory Singers, as well as the Composer-in-Residence for the Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir and board member of Resonance Ensemble. Recent projects include two adventurous and versatile books of “Gathering Rounds: 52 Original Rounds and Canons for Choirs,” and a forthcoming book of 52 more rounds for elementary singers. Her music for choirs, chamber ensembles, soloists, and orchestras has been performed across North America, and she holds degrees in composition, philosophy, math, and culinary arts (just to mix things up). Philipps writes music, sings, plays drums, gardens, and herds cats in Portland, Oregon, where she is the proprietor of Sirensong Publishing, the primary distributor of her work.
Press
Daryl Brown for Oregon Arts Watch on Resonance Ensemble's recording of Witch Trial
Matthew Neil Andrews for Oregon Arts Watch on Sosira, respira
Bruce and Daryl Browne for Oregon Arts Watch on Sudden Light
Brett Campbell for Oregon Arts Watch
Matthew Neil Andrews for Oregon Arts Watch
Brett Campbell for Willamette Week
Upcoming Events
Now!
GATHERING ROUNDS VOLUME 2 AVAILABLE!
52 Rounds and Canons for Choirs Set to Poetry and Prose by Women
Available here!
It's here! A second book of Gathering Rounds for singing together, discovering poetry, building musical skills, and learning and practicing new musical concepts! Written for two to six voices or groups for beginning to intermediate skill levels (plus a few challenges!), this all-new collection of Gathering Rounds moves from easy to challenging over the course of each month and over the course of the year. Gathering Rounds are great for choral warmups, icebreakers, sight-reading, processionals, recessionals, transitions, encores, sing-alongs, and just for fun.
This second volume offers a round for each week of the year featuring poetry and prose by women – some famous, some infamous, some longtime favorites, some newly discovered, all captivating – set to music by Stacey Philipps. Bound in a handy 6" x 9" spiral bound book, these rounds and canons are welcoming, encouraging, flexible, musically and textually meaningful miniatures to enjoy with anywhere from a few people around a campfire to a large choir in a traditional performance space.
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Order your copy of Gathering Rounds now! Discounts for a six-pack and for a classroom- or ensemble-sized box of 30.
Now!
Celebrating their 50th anniversary, Oregon Repertory Singers released their latest album of music by Eriks Esenvalds, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Franz Biebl, Ola Gjeilo, Naomi LaViolette, and me with my SSATB song Close Distancing in a stunningly beautiful performance. Find it everywhere you get music!
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October
14 & 15
2023
RESONANCE ENSEMBLE IN CONCERT WITH ALBUM RELEASE
October 14, 7:30 pm
October 15, 3:00 pm
Lincoln Recital Hall, Portland State University
Portland, Oregon
Resonance Ensemble's debut album LISTEN is dropping at their 15th-anniversary kick-off concerts October 14 & 15 – album pre-orders are open and tickets are on sale for the celebratory season! Along with music by Melissa Dunphy, Dominick DiOrio, Jake Runestad, Mari Esabel Valverde, Steven Sametz, and Renee Favand-See, the album includes my SSAA song Witch Trial (based on testimony from actual witch trials...) in a gorgeous rendition by the ensemble's incredible treble voices. Portland, come for the singing, stay for the post-concert panel after each concert, where we'll be talking more music.
Past Events
January
26
NWACDA PRESENTATION: THINK CHORAL, SHOP LOCAL!
Local commissioning in your own community
4:30 pm, January 26
Northwest ACDA
Spokane, Washington
ACDA members, I hope to see you at this presentation!
Working with a local composer creates meaningful, relevant, engaging, personal experiences for singers, builds community beyond the choir, exposes singers to creatives working in their own town, and can offer unique, collaborative musical experiences. This encounter choir session will demonstrate the breadth of projects Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir and composer-in-residence Stacey Philipps have created over the last two seasons while rebuilding the choirs. This session will also give practical advice on finding local composers and commissioning everything from the simplest song to extended, rich, long-term projects. This will include the nuts and bolts of contracts, deposits, and deadlines. Hear examples while learning how to harness the strengths and skills in your own community to bring inspiration, innovation, and impact to your choirs.
December
6
OREGON REPERTORY SINGERS YOUTH CHOIR IN CONCERT
December 6, 7:00 PM
The Grotto
Portland, Oregon
Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir will be performing their winter concert at The Grotto and premiering my new song Velvet Shoes for SAB choir with piano and pitched metal (sheet music coming soon!).
December
3, 9, & 10
OREGON REPERTORY SINGERS IN CONCERT WITH ALBUM RELEASE
December 3, 9, & 10, 4:00 PM
First United Methodist Church
Portland, Oregon
Celebrating their 50th anniversary, Oregon Repertory Singers is releasing their latest album of music by Eriks Esenvalds, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Franz Biebl, Ola Gjeilo, Naomi LaViolette, and me with my SSATB song Close Distancing in a stunningly beautiful performance. This album drops on the concert weekends December 3, 9, and 10 (get your tickets!) when we'll be singing a winter program and the Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir will be premiering my new song Velvet Shoes for SAB choir with piano and pitched metal (sheet music coming soon!).
Upcoming Events
Now!
GATHERING ROUNDS VOLUME 2 AVAILABLE!
52 Rounds and Canons for Choirs Set to Poetry and Prose by Women
Available here!
It's here! A second book of Gathering Rounds for singing together, discovering poetry, building musical skills, and learning and practicing new musical concepts! Written for two to six voices or groups for beginning to intermediate skill levels (plus a few challenges!), this all-new collection of Gathering Rounds moves from easy to challenging over the course of each month and over the course of the year. Gathering Rounds are great for choral warmups, icebreakers, sight-reading, processionals, recessionals, transitions, encores, sing-alongs, and just for fun.
This second volume offers a round for each week of the year featuring poetry and prose by women – some famous, some infamous, some longtime favorites, some newly discovered, all captivating – set to music by Stacey Philipps. Bound in a handy 6" x 9" spiral bound book, these rounds and canons are welcoming, encouraging, flexible, musically and textually meaningful miniatures to enjoy with anywhere from a few people around a campfire to a large choir in a traditional performance space.
​
Order your copy of Gathering Rounds now! Discounts for a six-pack and for a classroom- or ensemble-sized box of 30.
Now!
Celebrating their 50th anniversary, Oregon Repertory Singers released their latest album of music by Eriks Esenvalds, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Franz Biebl, Ola Gjeilo, Naomi LaViolette, and me with my SSATB song Close Distancing in a stunningly beautiful performance. Find it everywhere you get music!
​
Now!
Resonance Ensemble's debut album LISTEN is a power collection of music by Melissa Dunphy, Dominick DiOrio, Jake Runestad, Mari Esabel Valverde, Steven Sametz, Renee Favand-See, and my SSAA song Witch Trial in a gorgeous and moving performance by the ensemble's incredible treble voices.
August
16
RESONANCE ENSEMBLE RE-CONNECTS, KICKSTARTER, & SEASON TICKETS
August 16, 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Old Moody Building, Portland, Oregon
Lots going on with Resonance Ensemble! RE-Connect Fridays foster support and connection for the Portland arts community. Join me and the rest of the Resonance Ensemble board at this fun social hour, including composers and performers, artistic and administrative staff, community supporters, and a rousing finish to the Kickstarter funding their latest album. Season tickets are also available now!
September
9 & 11
OREGON REPERTORY SINGERS YOUTH CHOIR REHEARSALS BEGIN
Times and locations vary
Portland and Vancouver rehearsals
Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir rehearsals ring the rafters on the West side, North side (Vancouver), and Central east side locations. I'm writing a new song for their spring concert, but get your singers in on the fun now!
October
1
MOVEABLE DO PODCAST INTERVIEW
Starting October 1
Streaming everywhere you listen to podcasts
Steve Danielson, host and raconteur of the podcast Moveable Do, and I had a wide-ranging conversation on everything from baking to music to my favorite color. I had a lot of coffee, so I did a LOT of talking, but if you're up for a ramble, start streaming on this date. Meanwhile, enjoy dozens of other fascinating conversations with the wonderful composers he's chatted with over teh past few years.So interesting!
October
26 & 27
OREGON REPERTORY SINGERS IN CONCERT
October 26 & 27 at 4:00 pm
Patricia Reser Center for the Arts
Beaverton, Oregon
Oregon Repertory Singers perform a concert showcasing the depth and richness of music written right here in Portland, featuring work by my friends and colleagues, Sydney Guillaume, Joan Szymko, Naomi LaViolette, and me! Portland, join us for a fascinating, beautiful, rousing, and joyous concert celebrating work made right here in the special place we live.
Past Events
January
26
NWACDA PRESENTATION: THINK CHORAL, SHOP LOCAL!
Local commissioning in your own community
4:30 pm, January 26
Northwest ACDA
Spokane, Washington
ACDA members, I hope to see you at this presentation!
Working with a local composer creates meaningful, relevant, engaging, personal experiences for singers, builds community beyond the choir, exposes singers to creatives working in their own town, and can offer unique, collaborative musical experiences. This encounter choir session will demonstrate the breadth of projects Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir and composer-in-residence Stacey Philipps have created over the last two seasons while rebuilding the choirs. This session will also give practical advice on finding local composers and commissioning everything from the simplest song to extended, rich, long-term projects. This will include the nuts and bolts of contracts, deposits, and deadlines. Hear examples while learning how to harness the strengths and skills in your own community to bring inspiration, innovation, and impact to your choirs.
December
6
OREGON REPERTORY SINGERS YOUTH CHOIR IN CONCERT
December 6, 7:00 PM
The Grotto
Portland, Oregon
Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir will be performing their winter concert at The Grotto and premiering my new song Velvet Shoes for SAB choir with piano and pitched metal (sheet music coming soon!).
December
3, 9, & 10
OREGON REPERTORY SINGERS IN CONCERT WITH ALBUM RELEASE
December 3, 9, & 10, 4:00 PM
First United Methodist Church
Portland, Oregon
Celebrating their 50th anniversary, Oregon Repertory Singers is releasing their latest album of music by Eriks Esenvalds, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Franz Biebl, Ola Gjeilo, Naomi LaViolette, and me with my SSATB song Close Distancing in a stunningly beautiful performance. This album drops on the concert weekends December 3, 9, and 10 (get your tickets!) when we'll be singing a winter program and the Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir will be premiering my new song Velvet Shoes for SAB choir with piano and pitched metal (sheet music coming soon!).
October
14 & 15
2023
RESONANCE ENSEMBLE IN CONCERT WITH ALBUM RELEASE
October 14, 7:30 pm
October 15, 3:00 pm
Lincoln Recital Hall, Portland State University
Portland, Oregon
Resonance Ensemble's debut album LISTEN is dropping at their 15th-anniversary kick-off concerts October 14 & 15 – album pre-orders are open and tickets are on sale for the celebratory season! Along with music by Melissa Dunphy, Dominick DiOrio, Jake Runestad, Mari Esabel Valverde, Steven Sametz, and Renee Favand-See, the album includes my SSAA song Witch Trial (based on testimony from actual witch trials...) in a gorgeous rendition by the ensemble's incredible treble voices. Portland, come for the singing, stay for the post-concert panel after each concert, where we'll be talking more music.
Report a Performance
Are you or your ensemble performing a piece I wrote? Fantastic – thank you! Please send me a program from your concert and any details I can help publicize.
Music with Oregon Repertory Singers
Livestreamed concert and conversation with
Composer Stacey Philipps featuring
performances by Oregon Repertory Singers
(begins at 8:31)
Sheet music for songs featured in the livestreamed concert
Contact
Question? Comment? Request? Inquiry? Send me an email.
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