we sing jubilation.
The Conspirare Symphonic Choir, established in 2000, is an auditioned, hundred-voice chorus of both professional and volunteer singers. Most reside in the Austin area, though several commute to rehearsals and performances from as far away as the Hill Country, San Antonio, and Victoria. All are highly skilled singers with significant previous choral experience.
Led by Artistic Director Craig Hella Johnson, the ensemble carries on the great oratorio tradition of epic choral storytelling. The dedicated Symphonic Choir singers are collaborative artists who sing the greatest choral masterworks with orchestra as well as new works for voices and instruments. They participate regularly in Conspirare outreach programs and serve as singing hosts for Conspirare’s popular Big Sings.
The Symphonic Choir performs large choral-orchestral works annually in Austin and other cities as part of the Conspirare season, and collaborates frequently with other major arts organizations such as the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Austin, and Victoria Bach Festival. The choir has won several Austin Critics Table Awards, most recently for performances of Verdi’s Requiem in 2008 and Cary Ratcliff’s Ode to Common Things with the Austin Symphony in 2009.
Jerry Young, Featured Singer of the Month
Jerry Young, bass, grew up in Amarillo where he learned yodeling, put to use as singing pianist at the Big Texan Steak Ranch — “Home of the Free 72-oz Steak.”
His thesis at UT was on Charles Ives, and he performed many of Ives’s songs. Jerry coached Dalton Baldwin (accompanist for Gerard Souzay, Elly Ameling, and Jessye Norman) for his Ives recording with William Parker. Baldwin wrote to Jerry, “I go on hearing your spontaneous singing in my ‘mind’s ear’ — also sensitive and both virile and tender — a rare combination!” He also suggested, “You might consider a few voice lessons.”
Gerard Souzay gave him those lessons when Jerry returned to UT to earn his electrical engineering degree. Jerry now works at Cirrus Logic.
Although he hadn’t been in a choir in over 30 years, Jerry joined the St. David’s Choir in 2010 to sing with his then 16-year-old son Julius. That year, father and son attended the Tallis Scholars Summer School. The application had a question about Jerry’s aspirations as a singer. His response was, “to sing with Conspirare.” With the opportunity to sing Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms as added incentive, Jerry auditioned last fall. He is thrilled to stand and sing among these wonderful singers.
soprano voices
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alto voices
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tenor voices
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bass voices
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