Damien Geter is an acclaimed American composer and conductor whose expansive body of work includes chamber, vocal, orchestral, and operatic compositions. Praised for writing “beautifully for voices and elegantly for orchestra” (The New Yorker), his “emotionally driven” (Opera) works are widely hailed for their “skillful vocal writing” (Wall Street Journal). A celebrated bass-baritone – “amazing to listen to. Possessed of a rolling, resonant voice even at the lowest register” (Northwest Reverb) – his varied credits include performances from the operatic stage to the television screen. Geter serves as Music Director for Portland Opera.

The 2026-2027 season features the world premiere of String Quartet No. 2, Reconstruction with The Belvedere Series in Richmond, Virginia. Geter’s Declaration for string orchestra and mezzo-soprano sees its world premiere at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and its New York premiere at Carnegie Hall with the Sphinx Virtuosi and J’Nai Bridges, who also perform it at the Anna H. Wang Concert Series in Takoma Park, Maryland. Amanirenas for soprano and piano tours as part of Karen Slack’s African Queens program for its West Coast premiere with Pacific Symphony, later traveling to Nashville Symphony. West Edge Opera presents his full-length opera, American Apollo; Santa Monica Symphony performs I Said What I Said and the Justice Symphony; his song cycle COTTON for mezzo-soprano, baritone, and piano travels to Kentucky Opera and the Charleston Gaillard Center; and Oakland Symphony presents Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Nina. His Loving Suite from the full-length opera Loving v. Virginia was commercially released on August 15, 2026 on the Bright Shiny Things label as part of Richmond Symphony’s Of This Land album. Geter serves as assistant conductor and chorus master for Cincinnati Opera's John Lewis: Good Trouble.

Last season, Geter’s new opera, Delta King’s Blues, with a libretto by Jarrod Lee, premiered at IN Series in Washington, DC, and Baltimore. The first full opera commissioned by IN Series, it celebrates the legacy of legendary guitarist Robert Johnson with a “blues opera” that tells the Faustian story of the bargain he struck with the devil. The Wall Street Journal praised the opera as a “showcase for the talents of composer Damien Geter.” Additional compositions performed included: Amanirenas with Naples Philharmonic in its orchestral premiere, and Portland and Piedmont Operas; COTTON with Justin Austin, J’Nai Bridges, and Laura Ward at La Jolla Music Society; the premiere of Loving v. Virginia Suite with Richmond Symphony; An African American Requiem with the Chicago Philharmonic and Richmond Symphony; I Said What I Said with Ear Taxi Festival; The Justice Symphony with VocalEssence; Sinfonia Americana with Fresno Philharmonic; and Weave In My Hardy Life with Resonance Works. As a conductor, Geter led Portland Opera in Verdi’s Requiem, joined Symphony New Hampshire to lead their Holiday Pops concert, and conducted the Redlands Symphony in works by Britten, Copeland, and Teresa Carreño.

2025 saw the world premiere of Geter’s critically acclaimed Loving v. Virginia, featuring a libretto by Jessica Murphy Moo, which concluded Virginia Opera’s 50th anniversary season. Based on the true story of Mildred and Richard Loving, the opera – hailed as “one of the year’s most rewarding new operas” by Opera and “nothing short of a masterpiece” by Operawire – was co-commissioned by Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony and co-produced by Virginia Opera and Minnesota Opera. In 2024, Des Moines Metro Opera presented the world premiere of his opera, American Apollo.

In 2022, Geter had six premieres as a composer, including his large work, An African American Requiem, in partnership with Resonance Ensemble and the Oregon Symphony with subsequent performances at the Kennedy Center; I Said What I Said for Imani Winds, co-commissioned by Anima Mundi Productions, Chamber Music Northwest, and The Oregon Bach Festival; his one-act opera Holy Ground for Glimmerglass Opera; Elegy for the American Guild of Organists; The Bronze Legacy for Chicago Symphony Orchestra; and the chamber version of American Apollo for Des Moines Metro Opera.

Other highlights from recent seasons include: Annunciation with Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Sinfonia Americana with Richmond Symphony (world premiere); COTTON at The Kennedy Center with Washington Performing Arts (Washington, D.C., premiere), and 92nd Street Y (New York premiere); The Justice Symphony for the University of Michigan with subsequent performances with The Washington Chorus at the Kennedy Center; the commission Cantata for a Hopeful Tomorrow for The Washington Chorus with subsequent performances with Pacific Chorale, Choral Arts Northwest, Bethune Cookman University, Northern Arizona University, Southwestern University, and Berkshire Choral International; his Bach transcription after Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C Minor from The Well-Tempered Clavier with Oregon Bach Festival; Buh-roke with Portland Baroque Orchestra; Invisible with Opera Theater Oregon; the Recording Inclusivity Initiative recording String Quartet No. 1 “Neo-Soul”; the inclusion of his commissioned song, Gentle lady, do not sing, on the Choral Scholars University College Dublin’s album, Music by James Joyce, Volume I (September 2024, Signum Classics); conducting his own An African American Requiem at Fort Worth Opera; conducting ABSENCE: Terence Blanchard, Joel Thompson’s The Snowy Day (West Coast premiere), and Paul Moravec’s The Shining, based on Stephen King’s iconic novel, at Portland Opera; and conducting America the Beautiful, Carmel Symphony Orchestra’s Opening Night Gala.

As a vocalist, favorite past highlights include: Porgy and Bess (Undertaker) at the Metropolitan Opera (house debut and Grammy Award-winning production) and Seattle Opera; Errollyn Wallen’s Quamino’s Map (Quamino) with Chicago Opera Theatre (world premiere); La traviata (Dr. Grenville), La bohème (Alcindoro), and David Lang’s The Difficulty of Crossing a Field (Bass Slave) and Little Match Girl Passion (soloist) at Portland Opera; Tosca (Angelotti) with the Portland and Eugene Operas; Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Four Villains) with Pacific Northwest Opera; La bohème (Colline) with the Tacoma and Vashon Operas; Zach Redler’s chamber opera The Falling and the Rising (the Colonel) at Seattle Opera; The Secret Garden (Archibald Craven) with Hawaii Opera Theatre; Paul Moravec’s oratorio Sanctuary Road (William Still) with Virginia Opera and Oakland Symphony; Voices of a Nation: Trouble in Tahiti (Sam) with Reno Symphony; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (bass soloist) with the Richmond Symphony and Fresno Philharmonic; Handel’s Messiah with North Carolina Symphony; Ralph Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony with Auburn Symphony Orchestra; and John Ireland’s Songs of a Wayfarer cycle with Rembrandt Chamber Musicians. Geter’s repertoire also includes Mendelssohn’s Elijah; Beethoven’s 9th Symphony; the Brahms, Verdi, Fauré, and Mozart Requiems; Mozart’s Mass in C; Bach’s Cantata No. 3; Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem; and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8.

On television, Geter made his TV debut on NBC's Grimm (John Slacks) and was seen in Netflix's Trinkets. Musical theater credits include Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights (Kevin Rosario) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Pontius Pilate).

Geter has been recognized by the Library of Virginia with its honorary Patron of Letters degree, was honored at the 2025 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History awards presented by Dominion Energy and the Library of Virginia, and was selected as a 2025 BRAVO! honoree by the Chesterfield Education Foundation.

He is an alumnus of the Aspen Opera Center and was a semifinalist in the Irma Cooper Vocal Competition.

Damien Geter hosts the podcast ARTillery and is the owner of DG Music, Sans Fear Publishing. Music in Historical Context: An Examination of Western European Music Through a Sociopolitical Lens, the book he co-authored, is available on Amazon or directly from the publisher, Kendall Hunt.

Last updated August 2026