About Anima Mundi Productions
Mission
Anima Mundi Productions’ mission is to create, present, and produce artistic projects that harness the power of the arts to stir the soul, foster community, and address urgent social and environmental problems. Our events support the personal and collective healing of at-risk segments of society who have experienced trauma, discrimination, and other forms of injustice.
Our annual 3-concert series brings world-class musicians to Oregon for concerts that turn the concert hall into a space for renewed hope, communal healing, and mutual understanding.
Anima Mundi means “The Soul of the World” and refers to our conviction that the soul of humanity and the fate of the planet are intertwined; we seek to heal the soul of the world through the arts by providing experiences that bring people into their hearts and imagination, demonstrate the power of beauty, and heal societal wounds through the shared experience of live music.
What We Do
Concerts
Concerts
Since launching our Heart of Humanity concert series in 2019, Anima Mundi Productions has produced over 20 concerts and multimedia productions, presented 9 Grammy-winning artists, collaborated with Seattle Opera, the Oregon Bach Festival, Chamber Music Northwest, and universities and K-12 schools across the state of Oregon.
Commissions
Commissions
To date, Anima Mundi Productions’ has commissioned and premiered nearly 30 new works of music, poetry, and art, including three original operas, symphonic works, and multimedia collaborations. Over half of these works were commissioned from women and BIPOC creators.
Community
Community
Anima Mundi Productions serves our community through thoughtfully developed partnerships with social service organizations, advocacy groups, and educational programs. These include youth mentorship programs, art therapy offerings, free public performances, panel discussions, community conversations, and cultural fairs, potlucks, and public arts projects.
Our Team
Ethan Gans-Morse
Co-founder, Executive Director, Composer
Ethan Gans-Morse has served as the Executive Director of Anima Mundi Productions since its founding, and has overseen the organization’s artistic, fundraising, and community development efforts. Born and raised in Southern Oregon, he focuses on collaborative, socially relevant projects that foster greater human connection.
In addition to providing artistic direction, Mr. Gans-Morse manages the company’s marketing, grant-writing, and publicity. Under his leadership, the organization has maintained a budget surplus since the Heart of Humanity Concert series began in 2019.
As Anima Mundi Productions’ resident composer, he frequently collaborates with co-founder Tiziana DellaRovere; together, they’ve been praised as “a powerhouse duo” by Oregon ArtsWatch, their various works called “a huge achievement” (The Oregonian), “a masterwork that should be shown across the country” (Ashland.News) with “…messages [that are] loud and clear and humane, and the art is fine enough to carry them (Oregon ArtsWatch).
He holds degrees in music composition and linguistics from Macalester College and the University of Oregon.
Tiziana DellaRovere
Co-founder, Co-Artistic Director, Poet
Born in Milan, Italy, Tiziana DellaRovere is a visual artist and an acclaimed writer of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. She has worked for decades as a counselor and an explorer of the deep psyche.
As Co-Artistic Director of Anima Mundi Productions, Ms. DellaRovere also has a unique role as Art Director, bringing brilliant creative elements—such as scenic design, poetry, and narrative components—to the concerts on the Heart of Humanity series, highlighting each season’s extramusical themes and elevating the concert experience to one of profound shared connection between audience and performers.
As resident poet, she has written three librettos for new operas in collaboration with composer Ethan Gans-Morse, as well as poetry for their program symphony, How Can You Own The Sky?, their oratorio Six Feet Apart: Stories of Resilience and Transformation, and numerous solo and chamber works.
Tiziana studied law and philosophy at the University of Milan, painting and sculpture at the California College of Arts and Crafts, and clinical psychology at San Francisco State University. Her writing, teachings, and paintings are unified in her devotion to the healing power of the arts and to bringing a sense of mystery and wonder into everyday life.
Lisa Frank
Operations Director
Operations Director Lisa Frank has long believed in the power of the arts to unite and heal. From supporting high school students to connect with themselves through hip hop, rap, and spoken word, to leading the development of a portrait photography exhibit celebrating the dignity and vitality of low-income seniors, Lisa feels deeply about the arts as a sanctuary for freedom through creative expression.
Before joining Anima Mundi Productions, Lisa spent eight years working at NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement, where she built teams of subject matter experts to develop guidance on public procurement topics, while publishing on a range of related topics. Prior to joining NIGP, Lisa managed the University Lecture Series at Carnegie Mellon University, where she earned her Master of Public Management. With her undergraduate degree in cello performance from Indiana University, Lisa now lives in Ashland, Oregon, where she enjoys playing with the Rogue Valley Symphony.
Stephanie C. Jones
Community Engagement Director
Community Engagement Director Stephanie Jones has supported the growth of arts in every community she has come into contact with, believing that the expression and representation of art is pertinent to the connection with ourselves and others. She believes that the arts and music have a powerful draw that crosses borders and social status to every corner of the world.
Stephanie has lived her life in a fluid motion, immersed in as many communities and opportunities as possible. An accomplished theatre and film actor, she has also worked as a trail crew member and ranger for the park service, a motorcycle shop in the receiving department, and as a surgical assistant at a periodontal office. She holds an associates degree in American Sign Language from Bakersfield Community College.
She has performed locally since 2013 for Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Craterian Theater, Camelot Theatre, the former Randall Theatre, and Collaborative Theatre Project.
Our Board
Richard Gordon
Richard Gordon began his career as a chemical engineer for Phillips Petroleum in Kansas City, Gulf Oil in Texas, and Exxon in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He directed his first business in 1980 and in 1985 started his own company, Richard Gordon Creative Productions.
Mr. Gordon served on the board of directors and as president of the Louisiana Society for Personal Realization in the late 80’s and early 90’s. In 2006 he created an internet organization that now extends to over 15 countries, which is dedicated to promoting our planet’s greater good through cooperation and service. For over 30 years Mr. Gordon has been sought after as a teacher, speaker, and consultant.
He has worked with businesses, churches, civic organizations, and individuals on five continents. Currently, he teaches and provides spiritual, managerial, and financial consulting for individuals and businesses, and promotes cutting edge businesses and philanthropic ventures.
Rita Reitz
Rita Reitz, a native of Ripley, Tennessee, graduated from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut and went on to earn a master’s degree in religion, philosophy and ethics from Yale University. A professional pianist and organist, she concertized in nine states. She taught piano for 53 years and taught music in the Menlo-Atherton School District for 35 years.
She volunteered with the San Francisco Symphony Mid-Peninsula League, taking 450 students a year to attend a SF Symphony performance at Davies Symphony Hall. Rita retired to the Rogue Valley Manor in 2013 and immediately became involved with the Rogue Valley Symphony Guild, chairing their 35th Anniversary fundraiser in 2014. She volunteers and is involved in many music activities at the Manor and at First Presbyterian Church in Medford.
Priscilla Quinby
Priscilla Quinby is in her 57th year of performing on stage, in the studio and on camera. She has appeared all over this country and in Europe as an actress, singer and dancer. She appreciates Anima Mundi’s mission because it aligns with her own belief about the arts. If her work is able to move someone to feel things they were keeping in check, then that’s a type of healing taking place. A healing of the heart and spirit. It can only make the world a better place.
A graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts high school, Priscilla was accepted into their university program, as well as at Cal Arts in southern California. She chose instead to move to Belgium where she attended MUDRA, the total theater training school of Maurice Bejart. Then she joined his Ballet of the XXth Century company and toured with them.
From Broadway in NYC to San Diego’s Old Globe Theater, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to Coconut Grove Theater in Florida, Priscilla has appeared in many roles and many venues in between including numerous roles locally.
Like many artists she feels “Art is the reason I am here.”
Jacki Rosen
Jacki Rosen is a professionally trained chef and culinary educator. Her work has taken her around the world as a technician, kitchen manager, trainer, and culinary advisor.
A native of San Francisco, Jacki was immersed in a wealth of diversity of culture, population, and cuisine during her formative years. Having the opportunity to experience life through the many lenses available to her — art, music, dance, theater, and food — helped form her world view. It is her firm belief that cultural exchange is key to building bridges between groups of people.
After leaving the excitement of restaurants and large scale catering operations, Jacki joined the faculty at American High School in Fremont CA, where she taught cooking skills to high school students. Working with young adults gave her an ideal opportunity to teach self-sufficiency and nutrition while increasing the students’ awareness of the foods they consumed. She retired from teaching after 17 years and moved to Ashland in 2022. Currently, Jacki volunteers with CASA of Jackson County as a youth advocate. She also teaches occasional cooking classes that focus on utilizing local ingredients to prepare plant based cuisine.
Jacki holds a degree in biology from City College of San Francisco and an AOS in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.
Dr. Mary Jane Morrison
Dr. Mary Jane Morrison lives a life of service. A graduate of the Bowman Gray School of Medicine (MD), University of Washington (residency with an MS in Rehabilitation Medicine), and the University of Connecticut (PhD in Special Education Rehabilitation Research: Psychology), she has served as a board-certified physician in four states as well as with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the United States Army. Her military service career spanned three decades of medical practice, with active duty in Desert Storm. Now retired and living in Medford, Oregon, she is a tireless volunteer and supporter of the arts in the Rogue Valley.
John Rafael Almaguer
John Rafael Almaguer practices family-based immigration law at Stout Law LLC in Medford, Oregon.
John was born and raised in Southern Oregon. Since the age of 12, when he started assisting his father, an immigration attorney, John has been interested in the many aspects of immigration law. In particular, he has seen through his immigrant-family’s experience the opportunities that life in the United States offers, and he is committed to helping others access similar opportunities. John joined Stout Law to put these interests and commitments into practice.
Prior to joining Stout Law, John practiced in the Los Angeles office of the international law firm Gibson Dunn. John graduated from the University of Chicago Law School.
What people are saying about Anima Mundi Productions
Co-founder and resident poet Tiziana DellaRovere leads a talk-back for combat veterans with psychologist Dr. Suzanne Best following the premiere of The Canticle of the Black Madonna in Portland, Oregon
“In these dark times it helps us remember our humanity, and… Anima Mundi has worked diligently to bring some of the world’s most accomplished musical and performance artists to Ashland.”