Dear Ann,

It's hard to believe June is here! We are lingering in the 100 voices of All-Night Vigil and invite you to join Craig in his studio, celebrate Pride, make your voice heard, and save the dates for upcoming events.

This month Craig introduces us to Arvo Pärt's Credo, music that deeply impacted him, influenced Considering Matthew Shepard, and that he will conduct as part of this summer's Oregon Bach Festival Grant Us Peace concert on July 10.

View Inside Craig's Studio

All-Night Vigil is a Wrap

Congratulations to the Conspirare Symphonic Choir on a truly memorable All-NIght Vigil. Their 100 voices enveloped listeners, deeply connecting as reflected in these audience responses:

"What I will always remember and most appreciate, though, was the music: the sensitive conducting, the emotive and articulate singing, and the waves of beautiful sound, which at times had me forgetting to breathe."

"The evening was truly a gift in these most difficult times."

And from a first-time concert goer: "Coming to the Conspirare All-Night Vigil was an out of body experience. The voices of everyone was truly something you could never forget but also want to continually watch over and over. This truly was one of the best moments of my life."

Many listeners asked how the choir learned Church Slavonic. Pronunciation guides were a key tool and Tenor John Spence provided important coaching as he shares in this interview. This was the first time for many of the singers to perform All-Night Vigil. Soprano Sarah Urias tells us about her connection to the music!

We loved welcoming Hella Circle members, friends and family, and students of our singers to the open rehearsal.

We closed the concert with a toast to long-time board member Ken Beck. "Ken’s light shines consistently on everyone," said Board Chair Nancy Lesch, poignantly recognizing Ken's wise, insightful and steadfast support of the Conspirare vision.

Central Texas Choral Singers: Audition Now!

Auditions for the 25-26 season are now being scheduled. Experienced Central Texas choral singers with a deep passion for choral music are encouraged to learn more and apply for an audition.

Celebrate Pride Month

June is PRIDE Month and we invite you to celebrate, reflect, advocate, and remember our LGBTQIA2S community.

Craig is one several distinguished musicians to share their thoughts on Pride as part of Minnesota Public Radio's Proud to Be.

Listen to Proud to Be

In addition, we invite you to listen to Craig Hella Johnson's Considering Matthew Shepard . Choirs in cities around the world continue to perform CMS and amplify its message.

Philadelphia Voices of Pride singers just completed two performances of CMS and sang in last October's "All of Us" choir. Their Artistic Director Daniel Schwartz powerfully captured the impact of CMS:

"...So many of us still hold the trauma of this crime, whether we know it or not. And though there have been books and plays written about Matthew’s story, we needed music to help us process this shared pain. For music expresses what language cannot, whether it be a joy too joyful or a pain too painful for words. And this work expresses both. Not only does Craig’s music help us to process the pain of this trauma, but it gives us something to hope for, something to fight for, something to live for."

Read complete program note (p. 10)

Make Your Voice Heard

Government funding for the arts is under threat. Your voice is needed now!

This week Congress begins determining fiscal year appropriations for cultural agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts. Use this form to contact your legislators and advocate for the NEA. Loss of the federal funding will negatively impact our long term ability to produce works like Considering Matthew Shepard and engage artists. NEA grants also fund state and local projects, further reducing our financial sustainability and will have devastating impacts on the entire arts ecosystem.

At the local level, the City of Austin's Office of Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment’s (ACME) launched the Creative Reset, reimagining the structure, accessibility, and implementation of funding programs like Elevate, a grant previously awarded for Conspirare Christmas. Provide your input on future funding!

Take the survey by June 5 or join a focus group!

Save the Date

Conspirare's next album will be streaming on August 29! Check your inbox for the full announcement later this week!

Piedra de Sol

September 26 and 27, 2025

Experience the world premiere of Joby Talbot’s Piedra del Sol. Commissioned as part of the Joel Brauer Fund for New Music.

Conspirare Christmas: House of Love

with Guest Artist Carrie Rodriguez

December 6 and 7, 2025 in Austin, TX

Stay tuned for ticket information and the full season later this summer.

Concert sponsorships are now available! Bring visibility to your business and provide clients with a uniquely Austin experience! Contact Travis Fitzgold at tfitzgold@conspirare.org.

Craig Hella Johnson Summer 2025

Conducting Appearances

Berlin Choral Festival - Gala Concert with Craig Hella Johnson June 15 at 8 pm at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Berlin, Germany

Oregon Bach Festival (Eugene, OR)

Read Oregon Arts Watch's Alive and awake fully in this life: Considering Oregon Bach Festival’s choral offerings

June 28 - Considering Matthew Shepard

July 2 - Palestrina in the Park

July 8 - Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy

July 10 - Grant Us Peace

Our Conspirare board (pictured above) recently met for their annual retreat. Simone Talma Flowers began the day with these words:

"Let us take a moment to center ourselves—

Breathing in possibility,

Breathing out distraction.

Holy Presence, Divine Source of Harmony—

We gather this morning as stewards of something greater than ourselves:

The power of music to stir souls, to break barriers, to awaken hope.

We give thanks for this Conspirare family—

For the visionaries, the creatives, the supporters,

Each voice a vital part of this living, breathing choir of purpose."

Simone's opening has stayed with me and is a powerful reminder of what we co-create together. Thank you for being a part of our community. Please feel free to contact me if you you would like to share more about your experience or ideas for Consiprare.

With gratitude on behalf of All of Us at Conspirare,

Ann

Ann McNair

Managing Director

P.S. We are in the midst of our We Sing Community Fund Drive. Thank you to all of you who have given. If you have not and are able to do so, please consider a gift to keep us singing!