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Craig Hella Johnson
Conspirare Artistic Director & Conductor

Craig Hella Johnson is the founding artistic director and conductor of Conspirare. Beloved for crafting thought-provoking musical journeys that create deep connections between performers and listeners, Hella Johnson is also Artistic Partner at the Oregon Bach Festival. Hella Johnson is a celebrated guest conductor of choral and orchestral works, a published composer, arranger, and educator. Hella Johnson is an Artist in Residence at Texas State University, earning the 2022 Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities.

Hella Johnson’s concert-length composition Considering Matthew Shepard was premiered and recorded by Conspirare and continues to have broad national and international reach. Hella Johnson’s accomplishments have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. Notably among them, he and Conspirare won a 2015 GRAMMY® for Best Choral Performance. His honors also include Chorus America’s Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral, Texas State Musician, the Matthew Shepard Foundation’s Dennis Dougherty Award for Community Leadership and most recently, Wartburg College’s 2023 Graven Award.

Craig Hella Johnson
Conspirare Artistic Director & Conductor

Craig Hella Johnson is the founding artistic director and conductor of Conspirare. Beloved for crafting thought-provoking musical journeys that create deep connections between performers and listeners, Hella Johnson is also Artistic Partner at the Oregon Bach Festival. Hella Johnson is a celebrated guest conductor of choral and orchestral works, a published composer, arranger, and educator. Hella Johnson is an Artist in Residence at Texas State University, earning the 2022 Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities.

Hella Johnson’s concert-length composition Considering Matthew Shepard was premiered and recorded by Conspirare and continues to have broad national and international reach. Hella Johnson’s accomplishments have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. Notably among them, he and Conspirare won a 2015 GRAMMY® for Best Choral Performance. His honors also include Chorus America’s Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral, Texas State Musician, the Matthew Shepard Foundation’s Dennis Dougherty Award for Community Leadership and most recently, Wartburg College’s 2023 Graven Award.