Every beloved work of art—music, poetry, literature, dance, visual art — started with a person who had something to say and wanted to share it. chatterWORKS is dedicated to providing meaningful backing for the next generation of artists who will create the soundtrack of tomorrow.

The chatterWORKS Pillars:

• A robust residency program, creating sustained, multi-year relationships with composers and poets. That means commissioning new work, programming work they’ve already written, and giving audiences a chance to get to know their artistic voice over time.
• An annual chatterWORKS album, featuring three new commissions from our Composers-in-Residence, original work read by our Poet-in-Residence, and previously unrecorded music by our resident composers and others. chatterWORKS Volume I, expected release date Spring 2027, will include premiere studio recordings from our composition fellows Kimberly Osberg, Akshaya Tucker, our poetry fellow Jae Nichelle and additional previously unrecorded compositions.
• Multiple year commissions for Portland composers. Portland has an unusually rich community of composers. Along with new commissions, we aim to feature a different local composer as often as possible on our monthly LateWORKS series — creating many more opportunities for composers to hear their music performed in the city where they live.