Call to Action

Oregon Repertory Singers is committed to building a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse organization. As our vision statement reads, we will responsibly develop Oregon Repertory Singers to expand diversity in our choirs, repertoire, and audiences. This commitment follows our value of Inclusion – We are strongest when we welcome all who share a passion for choral music. We are committed to our choirs and audience reflecting our world.

We recognize that classical music institutions, including community choirs like ours, have historically enacted and continue to uphold ideologies that violate our belief that all humans deserve equal rights. Such ideologies include (but are not limited to) racist, sexist, ableist, classist, homophobic, and transphobic practices that have held back diverse voices from full participation and opportunities. Our art form is enriched and improved by more diverse experiences, perspectives, cultures, and approaches to choral music. We are committed to the ongoing internal and systemic struggle for justice and change as we work in partnership with the wider community to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive choral organization.

ORS is actively working to advance diversity, inclusion, and equity in our services. We continue to develop strategies to break down accessibility barriers.

These include:

  • Partnering with social service organizations to bring low-income students to the youth choir program

  • Increasing youth scholarship funding

  • Offering sliding scale dues to adult choir singers

  • Offering discounts and no-cost concert tickets to groups in need

  • Encouraging and responding to feedback from community members on topics such as music selection and programming, enrollment processes, ticket sales processes, presentation and experience at concerts

In addition to the strategies listed above, in the 2021-2022 Season ORS has taken the following actions:

  • The formation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee to lead the charge on advising and proposing changes to improve our organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in order to create a positive impact in our organization and local communities. “The Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee will advise the board and staff on the integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the work of Oregon Repertory Singers'' Established May 2021.

  • We identified geographic areas not yet served by youth choir programs, and the youth choir (ORSYC) will launch a second summer camp in underserved Washington County this year. Our new camp serves the Beaverton/Hillsboro area in addition to the original camp in southeast Portland, allowing ORSYC to reach communities that may not have access to community youth choirs. This enables a more diverse population to attend our camps and join the youth choir in the full season. Up to 100% financial aid is available for all youth with no one turned away for inability to pay.

  • The adult choir implemented a gender-neutral and affordable concert attire policy in the fall of 2021.

  • The organization is promoting more diverse repertoire, including premiering and commissioning works by local female composers. The youth choir hired Stacey Philipps as composer-in-residence, and the Spring 2021 concert featured female and BIPOC Renaissance-era composers.

  • New digital ORS content creation has expanded access by providing free viewing to Video-On-Demand concerts.* This has expanded access to senior living facilities, hospitals, correctional facilities, and schools. This enabled ORS to reach audiences from Brazil, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, the Philippines, and the UK (based on YouTube data).

In the 2022-2023 Season ORS has taken the following actions:

  • DEI Committee continued to meet quarterly. 

  • Established a third youth choir satellite location in Vancouver, Washington for kindergarten - 5th grade.

  • Reduced barriers to scholarship application and awarded $35,000 in full or partial awards. No child turned down for inability to pay tuition.

  • Introduced a new fundraising event, ORS Idol, which allowed for varying levels of support from across the country. Partnered with three local Portland celebrities as hosts including a drag queen.

  • Announced in 2023, ORS Youth Choir and Stacey Philipps were selected to present at the Northwest ACDA Regional 2024 Conference highlighting this special Composer-in-Residence collaboration. Philipps composed two new commissions for the ORS Youth Choir

  • First Annual ChoirFestNW -  Students came together for a one day free invitational clinic for choral singers ages 13 to 19 hosted by ORS Youth Choir and Artistic Director Aubrey Patterson and in partnership with Portland State University Chamber Choir and ORS Artistic Director and PSU Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Ethan Sperry.