Craig Hella Johnson (born Craig Morris Johnson; June 15, 1962) is an American choral conductor, composer, and arranger.

Early life

Johnson was born in

Brainerd, Minnesota Brainerd ( ) is a city and the county seat of Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 14,395 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Brainerd straddles the Mississippi River several miles upstream from its confluen ...

, and raised in

Virginia, Minnesota Virginia is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. With an economy heavily reliant on large-scale iron ore mining, Virginia is considered the Mesabi Iron Range's commercial center. The population was ...

, on the Iron Range. His father was a Lutheran pastor, and music played a central role in both his family and community life. As a child, Johnson began studying piano and later traveled to

Duluth Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

for organ lessons beginning in seventh grade. He served as a church organist throughout high school and was actively involved in school music programs and local community performances.

Education

Johnson earned his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from

St. Olaf College St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American pastors and farmers led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after the King and th ...

in 1984, where he also sang in the St. Olaf Choir. During his freshman year, a symphonic literature class sparked his passion for conducting. Observing a rehearsal of the Minnesota Orchestra, Johnson described the moment the conductor lifted his arms to begin Glinka’s *Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila* as transformative. He pursued graduate studies at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

, the

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...

, and

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree.Texas State University faculty bio
music.txst.edu. Accessed July 5, 2023.

Career

Johnson founded the professional choral ensemble

Conspirare Conspirare is a choral ensemble based in Austin, Texas. They were formed in 1991 by conductor and musical director Craig Hella Johnson as New Texas Festival but did not begin to regularly perform until 1999. They have released over 25 albums a ...

in Austin, Texas, and continues to serve as its artistic director. Under his leadership, the group has gained international recognition for its innovative programming and high artistic standards. In 2015, he and Conspirare received the

Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance The Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance has been awarded since 1961. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award over this time: *In 1961 the award was known as Best Classical Performance - Choral (including oratorio) *Fr ...

for the album ''The Sacred Spirit of Russia'' (Harmonia Mundi, 2014). From 1998 to 1999, Johnson served as the artistic director of Chanticleer, becoming the second person to hold the position after founder Louis Botto.Kosman, Joshua
"A New Voice for Chanticleer"
''SFGate'', April 5, 1998. Accessed July 5, 2023. He was also the long-time artistic director of the Victoria Bach Festival and directed the Houston Masterworks Chorus from 2001 to 2003.

Academic appointments

Johnson was director of choral activities at the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

for eight years and currently serves as Professor and Resident Artist in Choral Music at

Texas State University Texas State University (TXST) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in San Marcos, Texas, United States, and another campus in Round Rock, Texas, Round Rock. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has ...

. In 2013, he was named the official Texas State Musician by the Texas Commission on the Arts, becoming the second classical musician to receive the honor. That same year, he was appointed music director of the Vocal Arts Ensemble in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Considering Matthew Shepard

In 2016, Johnson premiered ''Considering Matthew Shepard'', a concert-length fusion oratorio honoring the life and legacy of

Matthew Shepard Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was an American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on October 6, 1998. He was transported by rescuers to Poudre Valle ...

, a gay college student murdered in 1998. The work blends a range of musical styles and incorporates texts by

Hildegard of Bingen Hildegard of Bingen Benedictines, OSB (, ; ; 17 September 1179), also known as the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictines, Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mysticism, mystic, visiona ...

, Lesléa Newman, Michael Dennis Browne, and Rumi, as well as excerpts from Shepard’s journal and interviews with his family. The piece was featured in a PBS documentary in 2018, and Conspirare’s recording of the oratorio received a Grammy nomination.

Personal life

Johnson lives in

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, with his partner, architect Philip Overbaugh.

References

External links

* *
Conspirare YouTube channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Craig Hella 1962 births 20th-century American composers 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American composers 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American LGBTQ people American choral conductors American classical composers American LGBTQ composers American male classical composers American male conductors (music) American people of Norwegian descent Classical musicians from Minnesota Classical musicians from Texas Juilliard School alumni LGBTQ classical composers LGBTQ people from Minnesota LGBTQ people from Texas Living people Musicians from Austin, Texas St. Olaf College alumni Texas State University faculty University of Texas at Austin faculty Yale University alumni Choral composers Choral music