about our performances
“Conspirare has become renowned for expanding the boundaries of choral performance.” — Wall Street Journal
“Right off the bat, it became clear that this was a seasoned group of musicians performing at an extremely high level; singers who could probably sing the phone book and sound fantastic. Part of me noticed the nuts and bolts elements, such as communication among the members and the strong direction of Johnson, but another part of me was just floored by the sound both in terms of quality and quantity.” — Andrew Sigler, New Music Box
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“The instrument that is Conspirare truly lived up to its name. Upswells of sound, rising in pentatonic flourishes and falling in cascades, filled the room in a display of impressive control and blend … With each performance, Conspirare creates an entirely unique and meaningful experience.” — The Austin Chronicle
“Singing a cappella, as it did most of the evening, Conspirare created a kind of unearthly atmosphere.” — Dallas Morning News
“Few experiences in this world can equal the exquisite pleasure of hearing an impeccable chorus performing first-rate music in an ideal acoustical setting, under gifted leadership … [Conspirare is] probably the nation’s best chorus.” — San Antonio Express-News
“Elegant and provocative. Virtuosic singing.” — Houston Chronicle
“Perfection. What else can we say about Conspirare? It’s not fair. Arts critics should sue Craig Hella Johnson and Conspirare for leaving us with virtually nothing to criticize in their blemish-free performances … These are singers so dedicated and in love with what they do, their devotion spills from the stage.” — Austin American-Statesman
about our recordings
Sing Freedom!: African American Spirituals (2011)
“Soul stirring music … performed to the highest vocal ensemble standard and recorded in excellent sound … first-rate singing by this world-class choir … Recommended.” — Classics Today
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[Conspirare] transfixes you in this new recording … everything on this disc is bound to rivet you to your seat, when you’re not grooving on the outpouring of choral joy.” — Gramophone
“Lang, Johnson, and especially O’Regan make some daring departures from tradition in their arrangements, but they are gripping; O’Regan’s serenely understated setting of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot is a real ear-opener. The new works are hugely effective. Kirby Shaw’s Plenty of Room (On the Glory Train) is traditional enough to sound like an authentic spiritual and Kyr’s Freedom Song is hypnotically dazzling in its wild abandon. The sound of Harmonia Mundi’s SACD is terrific: clean, warm, and immediate.” — allmusic.com
The singing of Conspirare is beautiful and beautifully expressive throughout, including the solos by Melissa Givens (“Motherless Child”) and Charles Wesley Evans (“My God is a Rock”), among others. It would be hard to improve on Harmonia mundi’s SACD recording, which is rich, deep, and wonderfully transparent—a truly immersive experience. This is a disc to savor. — Audiophile Audition
“Celebrat(es) powerful American vocal music … CD of the week.” — classicFM (UK)
“Powerful, inspiring, ingenious, and invigorating.” — Stan Schmidt, goingbeyondwords.com
“The CD demonstrates the rare expressive power in this noble musical genre, and the remarkable ability of Conspirare to express it to compelling effect.” — The Baltimore Sun
A Company of Voices: Conspirare in Concert (2009) — nominated for a Grammy® award
“Artful arrangements and polished, utterly convincing performances … They sound at home in everything … Some of the lushest, loveliest, and most exquisitely balanced choral singing on record.” — American Record Guide
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“The singing is superb, and the overall uplifting nature of the music and the performances leaves us — as it undoubtedly did the attending audience — feeling like we’ve just been rewarded and revived. Strongly recommended!” — Classics Today
“The music here [is] hopeful and reassuring, and each new number that came my way settled my soul … I found myself sorry that one song was ending at the same time I was enthusiastically and eagerly anticipating the next … The choir sings with an engaging sense of commitment and almost evangelical zeal.” — Audiophile Audition
“Anyone who might think choral music can’t be psychedelic ought to hear this … Conspirare particularly excels at spirituals and soul music. They also ably explore both country … and contemporary gospel … Yet it’s the edgiest material here … that springs the latch, voices and arrangements soaring free.” — Lucid Culture
Threshold of Night: Music for Voices and Strings by Tarik O’Regan (2008) — nominated for two Grammy® awards
“The success of these works is due in no small part to the technical and interpretational skills of Conspirare and Craig Hella Johnson. Their performance is ravishing throughout.” — Gramophone
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“Conspirare is one of America’s leading vocal ensembles, and it’s easy to hear why in these superb performances.” — International Record Review
“Glowing reports have been floating north about the Austin-based professional choral ensemble Conspirare. Sure enough, this new CD reveals a group lovingly polished by artistic director Craig Hella Johnson.” — Dallas Morning News
“Needless to say, the performances are first rate. This choir has an established reputation for excellence and has taken to O’Regan’s music as if it were created just for them (which some of it was!).” — ClassicsToday.com
“If Conspirare’s not the best choir in North America right now, I’d like you to show me a better. In fact, they operate internationally at the top level. This is choral royalty, committed to serious music-making … They recorded in the Troy Savings Bank, a difficult environment which yields splendid sonic results. The sound is yummy. ” — Classical Net
Requiem (2006) — Edison Award winner; nominated for two Grammy® awards
“… Top notch singing … [the choir] unwraps a wide palette of colours … The quality of diction, shaping of phrases, articulation, tuning and ensemble is exemplary.” — Organists Review
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“… the performances by [Conspirare] are exemplary in every technical respect.” — Fanfare
“A magnificent recording.” — International Choral Bulletin
“I praise the gorgeous sound, the impeccable balance and intonation, the careful and thoughtful shaping of phrases, the delightful choice of repertoire, the supportive engineering, and so much more. Surely the Howells has never received a finer performance.” — Composer Daniel Gawthrop
through the green fuse (2004)
“It’s dense with the qualities that make Conspirare such an astounding choir … sounds that are achingly lovely … the singing rings with the natural clarity and ineffable beauty of crystal … found here in the artistry of this celestial chorus.” — Austin Chronicle
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“The choir truly lives up to its professional credentials, with a consistently high standard of ensemble coordination, expression, and mastery of detail … a genuine treat for choral fans.” — ClassicsToday.com
“This is simply gorgeous choral singing … near-perfect interpretive consensus and vocal ensemble, with stiletto-sharp intonation and unearthly tonal beauty … incredibly smooth, spacious, and detailed sound … This music takes me to my warm and peaceful inner place, helping me to forget the world’s travails and my own. And that, to me, is priceless.” — American Record Guide
about craig hella johnson
“The power of the human voice directed and shaped by a significant musical mind like Johnson’s has the power to do nearly anything…” — Andrew Sigler, New Music Box
“Bach’s St. Matthew Passion [was] conducted with total authority and sweeping sense of line by Craig Hella Johnson … The whole piece unfolded as a single, seamless thought. Tempo relations were perfectly gauged to propel the narrative. Even the pauses between movements seemed calculated with a film editor’s dramatic timing … Phrasing was lively and flexible while remaining firmly within the baroque style. The chorale tune that recurs several times in a sequence of descending keys, like columns supporting the structure, was taken in each case at a different tempo or dynamic level, as appropriate to the dramatic moment.” — Mike Greenberg, San Antonio Express News
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“Your understanding of the piece and the loving attention to detail are manifest in virtually every measure of the work and you clearly inspired your group to a remarkable level of choral achievement.” — Composer Dominick Argento, on a performance of his Walden Pond
“In this Missa Solemnis, one had the impression that [Craig Hella Johnson] was fully in control and that his forces were delivering everything he had in mind … Through all the amazing ebbs and flows of dynamics, the radiant balances, the seamless connection of episodes, the theatrically astute tempo relations, the unified structural arc, the music shone forth with organic naturalness. Nothing sounded fussed over. Everything sounded just right.” — Mike Greenberg, San Antonio Express News
“Craig Hella Johnson has understood my music in a way that I have never experienced before. He is a great musician who understands everything about the music he conducts. He is rare, and I felt fortunate to be able to finally hear what I had always dreamt about.” — Composer John Corigliano, on a performance of his A Dylan Thomas Trilogy.
“No question about it. Craig Hella Johnson is a genius … (he) deserves special notice for his courageous and insightful musical choices.” — Mike Greenberg, San Antonio Express-News
“Johnson [always delivers] an emotionally resonant performance. But with his Verdi Requiem … he created a singularly majestic moment.” — Austin American-Statesman
“You have taken my work and raised it to the highest level I have ever experienced. I sat absolutely spellbound while listening to your exquisite performance … It was as though you had read my mind and knew exactly how to interpret my thoughts.” — Composer Frank Ferko, on a performance of his Stabat Mater
“Craig Hella Johnson is a genius … [who] is moving the choral art forward … He’s fearless in terms of his programming and the way he presents the concerts. It’s a kind of expansion of the choral art, taking a journey to places that can bring music into new life for the listener. He really creates a context in which everybody is welcome.” — Composer Robert Kyr
