1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

National tour set to take the stage at Transylvania Oct. 9

Considering Matthew Shepard on tour. Photographed by Timothy Norris

This week, Transylvania  and the Dorothy J. and Fred K. Smith Concert Series present Grammy award-winning Conspirare in a performance of “Considering Matthew Shepard.”

The national tour comes to Lexington nearly 20 years to the day when Matthew Shepard’s life was taken in an anti-gay hate crime. The choral and instrumental masterpiece tells Shepard’s story and reverberates with larger questions. “Matt’s story is not unique,” his mother, Judy Shepard, reminds us. “It’s a universal story.”   

Recently, composer Craig Hella Johnson was interviewed by Tom Martin on WEKU’s Eastern Standard. 

“I wanted to bring memories, so that we wouldn’t forget Mathew Shepard and his story and that we would remember the lessons that we have learned from his life and his death,” Johnson shared. Click here to listen to the full interview.

Before the performance on Tuesday evening, Transylvania is hosting a Community Resources Fair starting at at 6:30 p.m. Local fairness and social justice groups will be on hand to share with information attendees and the community

“Considering Matthew Shepard” is presented as part of Transylvania’s New Frontiers series, which explores new ideas and perspectives through the arts, humanities and sciences. It also represents the university’s year-long exploration of “civility” as a campus theme.

The public is invited to campus to share in these experiences—including free admission and parking.  Tickets reservations for Considering Matthew Shepard are required and are available at transy.edu/events.