PROFILE: Conspirare

I have a confession to make.

My favorite art form is actually architecture. I think it’s the combination of structure and order complemented by the art of aesthetics that gets me going. Second in the order of artistic likes is choral music. Here again, there is some order and direction coupled with the artistic endeavor.

Having had a fair amount of experience singing in some fine choirs in my day, I wanted to share information about some acclaimed ensembles. Since Texas is my home, I will start with the Lone Star state.

Conspirare

Austin based Conspirare has a list of honors:
Five Grammy Award® nominations

Best Classical Crossover Album
Best Classical Album
Best Choral Performance (twice nominated)
Best Engineered Album, Classical
The Edison Award
Numerous Austin Critics’ Table Awards

The ensemble was founded in 1991 and has gained local and international attention for innovative programming and, of course, artistic excellence. Craig Hella Johnson is the founding artistic director.

Conspirare’s most recent Grammy Award® nomination was for the CD “Company of Voices: Conspirare in Concert.” The concert was produced by Austin’s KLRU and was broadcast on more than 130 PBS affiliate television stations.

In a June 2011 Austin American-Statesman critical review of Conspirare’s performance of “Missa Latina” composed by Roberto Sierra, Luke Quinton said, “It was beautiful from its first moments.”

Although many very fine performing arts organizations never see this kind of wide-spread critical acclaim, it’s great to see a Texas based performing arts organization receiving this positive attention.

Matt

www.conspirare.org
http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/seeingthings/entries/2011/06/13/review_conspirares_missa_latin.html?cxntfid=blogs_austin_arts_seeing_things