Conspirare and Craig Hella Johnson’s The Hope of Loving: Choral Music of Jake Runestad has been nominated for the 2020 GRAMMY® Award for Best Choral Performance!
“Eriks Esenvalds, Ola Gjeilo, and Eric Whitacre might have to slide down the bench a little to make room for a newcomer. … Runestad’s music tends to be luminous, spiritually-charged, enmeshed with the texts that inspired it, and fully accessible to singers and audiences. … Conspirare—no surprise here— supports the composer every step of the way; collectively and in the solos performed handsomely by soloists culled from its ranks.”
—Philip Greenfield, American Record Guide
“Runestad has wedded exquisite music to tender, spiritual and nature-orientated verses… The composer’s style is lyrical, replete with soaring phrases and rich harmonies coloured by suspensions and, in this programme, deft choral techniques. … In all of the repertoire, Conspirare founding artistic director and conductor Craig Hella Johnson draws lustrous and controlled artistry from his choristers, and the excellent soloists connect elegantly to Runestad’s humane creativity.”
—Donald Rosenberg, Gramophone Magazine