stage


JOHNSON


CRAIG HELLA


CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD


by lisa lipsey In October of 1998, our community was sucker-punched with


the news of 22-year-old Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten, tied to a cattle fence in freezing weather and left to die. Five days later, when Matt passed away, the world was watching. Knowing that Matthew Shepard’s story must never be forgotten,


artists took their broken hearts and at last count, via the Matthew Shepard Foundation, there are 62 songs that reference Matt’s story. As we fast approach the 20th anniversary of his loss, renowned conductor/composer Craig Hella Johnson has written his first concert-length work,Considering Matthew Shepard. Johnson is the founder of the celebrated Grammy award-winning


chamber ensemble Conspirare, (Latin “con” + “spirare” = “to breathe together”), hailing from Texas. The ensemble will be traveling to West Hollywood for a two-night engagement of the three-part fusion oratorio,Considering Matthew Shepard. The production is part of the City of West Hollywood and WeHo


Arts’ One City One Pride commemoration of this important an- niversary. The event is part of IGNITE @ the FORD!, a series presented by the Ford Theatre Foundation and comprised of world-renowned contemporary artists whose work is thought-provoking and reflects the world in which we live. Johnson shared that in composing the piece, he aimed to showcase, “…a fresh and bold voice, incorporating a variety of


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RAGE monthly | JUNE 2018


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