April 28, 2025
Contact James Wilson at 336-549-4226 or jewilson@viterbo.edu
CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD AT THE CAPPELLA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER APRIL 30
LA CROSSE, Wis. – A performance of Considering Matthew Shepard featuring the Viterbo Concert Choir, 9th Street Singers, and the La Crosse Chamber Ensemble will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 30 at the Cappella Performing Arts Center in La Crosse.
Written by Craig Hella Johnson, Considering Matthew Shepard is a three-part fusion oratorio that incorporates a variety of musical styles, poetry, passages from Shepard’s journal, newspaper reports, interviews and writings from Shephard’s parents, and additional material.
“In addition to the musical presentation, our performance will incorporate visual elements that were used during the work’s premier,” said James Wilson, the director of the Viterbo Concert Choir and 9th Street Singers. “Visual artist Elliott Forrest has graciously offered his slide presentation of images that powerfully illustrate Matthew's life and story.”
Shepard was a University of Wyoming student who was murdered in 1998. A gay man, Shepard’s brutal murder brought national and international attention to state and federal hate crime legislation.
“Matt Shepard and his story have led me on an inspiring, challenging and deeply meaningful journey that I continue to this day,” Hella Johnson wrote. “In composing Considering Matthew Shepard, I wanted to create, within a musical framework, a space for reflection, consideration, and unity around his life and legacy.”
Tickets, which are $15 for general admission and $10 for students, can be purchased at https://cappellaperformingartscenter.com.
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