Three CDs, three times nominated for Grammys. That’s the current record for Conspirare, Austin’s acclaimed professional choir, with the news that its disc A Company of Voices: Conspirare in Concert got a nod in the Best Classical Crossover Album category in the 52nd set of recording industry awards. Like the PBS special that this performance was created for (recorded live in Dell Hall at the Long Center in October 2008), the disc captures the ensemble making choral magic not just with expected material – say, Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei or the spiritual “Deep River” – but with contemporary music from Ennio Morricone to Dolly Parton to Eliza Gilkyson. Conspirare faces stiff competition (Quartet San Francisco’s praised Brubeck album, Béla Fleck with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and that 800-pound cello-playing gorilla, Yo-Yo Ma), but it puts our company of voices in mighty good company and keeps that great string of Grammy nominations alive. At this rate, Conspirare is on track to become the Asleep at the Wheel of classical ensembles. For more information, visit www.conspirare.org.
This article appears in December 11 • 2009.