Look to the right of the post title to find the orange audio play button to listen to an interview with KMFA's John Clare and conductor Craig Hella Johnson about their Grammy win for "The Sacred Spirit of Russia".

Austin’s Conspirare was awarded its first Grammy Award today at the 57th annual Grammy Awards. The group is led by artistic director Craig Hella Johnson and won in the category for Best Choral Performance. Their recording The Sacred Spirit of Russia was released on the Harmonia Mundi label, and contains works by Rachmaninoff, Grechaninov, Kalinikov and Chesnokov. This is Craig Hella Johnson’s first Grammy award as well. Johnson spoke with KMFA's John Clare about the award and release, saying not only is it an honor, but a great feeling to share the music.

This was Conspirare’s sixth Grammy nomination. Previous nominations were in 2006 for Requiem (Best Choral Performance and Best Engineered Album, Classical), 2008 for Threshold of Night (Best Choral Performance and Best Classical Album), and 2009 for Company of Voices: Conspirare in Concert (Best Classical Crossover Album).

Grammy  Awards 2015 Classical Music Winners

Best Engineered Recording
Michael Bishop

Producer of the Year
Judith Sherman

Best Orchestral
John Adams – City Noir

Best Opera Recording
Charpentier: La Descente D'Orphée Aux Enfers

Best Choral Music Performance
Sacred Spirit of Russia
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Conspirare)

Best Chamber Music (Small Ensemble)
Hilary Hahn

Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Jason Vieux

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Douce France - Anne-Sophie von Otter

Best Classical Compendium 
Partch: Plectra & Percussion Dances

Best Contemporary Classical Composition
John Luther Adams (Become Ocean)