Considering Matthew Shepard

Inspired by the 1998 murder of a young gay man in Wyoming, Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard, premiered in 2016 and has since been performed by more than 30 ensembles around the world, sharing the work’s message of compassion and understanding.

This three-part fusion oratorio with choir and orchestra speaks with a fresh and bold voice, incorporating a variety of musical styles seamlessly woven into a unified whole. Johnson sets a wide range of poetic and soulful texts by poets including Hildegard of Bingen, Lesléa Newman, Michael Dennis Browne, and Rumi. Passages from Matthew Shepard’s personal journal, interviews and writings from his parents Judy and Dennis Shepard, newspaper reports, and additional texts by Johnson and Browne are poignantly appointed throughout the work.

Wilmington Voices will perform Considering Matthew Shepard at UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium in May of 2025 - Find out more about our performances here.

While our concerts are usually free, it will cost our organization nearly $40,000 to share this meaningful production with Wilmington audiences. To help offset the costs of this special project, there will be an admission price of $25, with a portion of every ticket sold being donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation to support their mission to amplify the story of Matthew Shepard to inspire individuals, organizations, and communities to embrace the dignity and equality of all people.

If you would like to support Wilmington Voices in our endeavor to bring this beautiful production to life, you may make an individual donation, or read more about Corporate Sponsorship opportunities below!

Wilmington Voices is proud to offer corporate sponsorship packages that allow businesses to gain from a mutually beneficial relationship with our organization. Whether your company operates regionally or nationally, we strive to offer benefits and opportunities for recognition that further your company’s core values and goals while also allowing you to play a vital role in supporting our organization’s meaningful work.

In our first year as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Wilmington Voices established an audience of more than 1,200 enthusiastic music lovers, and we have continued to engage new audiences with each concert series – special projects, like Considering Matthew Shepard, allow us to reach even more audiences. With our two upcoming performances at UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium, we hope to share this moving piece of music with up to 2,000 people. We would love to partner with you in our efforts to enrich the lives of our local community through music.

Corporate Sponsorship

Your tax-deductible investment can support our efforts to provide:

  • Free and affordable access to high quality classical music and community engagement opportunities for the communities of Eastern North Carolina

  • The production of exceptional choral music recordings

  • Local and regional tours and special event performances

  • Commissioning new choral works

  • Maintaining and expanding our educational outreach programs

In return, Wilmington Voices offers a variety of benefits through our sponsorships that align with the level of your support. These benefits include:

  • Company Recognition - Opportunities to promote your company to our robust and growing audience base.

  • Engagement - Reserved seating at select concerts and opportunities to observe a Wilmington Voices rehearsal.

  • Corporate Social Responsibility - Align your company with Wilmington Voices’ work in the local community through our educational outreach initiatives.

If paying online, add your company name to your payment via the comment feature, and then email your completed Corporate Sponsorship Agreement to james@wilmingtonvoices.com

To pay by check, please mail your payment and completed Corporate Sponsorship Agreement to:
Wilmington Voices
P.O. Box 4372
Wilmington, NC 28403

Sponsorship Levels & Benefits

    • Acknowledgement of your company on the Sponsors page of all concert programs.

    • Your company name listed on the Sponsors page of the Wilmington Voices website.

    • Your company logo displayed on the Wilmington Voices website homepage (with a hyperlink to your website).

    • Your company highlighted as a corporate sponsor in our quarterly newsletters.

    • Your company recognized in the opening remarks at each concert during the season.

    • Reserved seating (up to 10 seats) at concerts, and an invitation to attend a closed rehearsal.

    • Your company logo displayed on pre-show presentations for all Considering Matthew Shepard performances.

    • Full-page color ad in concert programs (approx. 5”x8” vertical).

    • Acknowledgement of your company on the Sponsors page of all concert programs.

    • Your company name listed on the Sponsors page of the Wilmington Voices website.

    • Your company logo displayed on the Wilmington Voices website homepage (with a hyperlink to your website).

    • Your company highlighted as a corporate sponsor in our quarterly newsletters.

    • Your company recognized in the opening remarks at each concert during the season.

    • Full-page color ad in concert programs (approx. 5”x8” vertical).

    • Acknowledgement of your company on the Sponsors page of all concert programs.

    • Your company name listed on the Sponsors page of the Wilmington Voices website.

    • Your company logo displayed on the Wilmington Voices website homepage (with a hyperlink to your website).

    • Your company highlighted as a corporate sponsor in our quarterly newsletters.

    • Full-page color ad in concert programs (approx. 5”x8” vertical).

    • Acknowledgement of your company on the Sponsors page of all concert programs.

    • Your company name listed on the Sponsors page of the Wilmington Voices website.

    • Your company logo displayed on the Wilmington Voices website homepage (with a hyperlink to your website).

    • Half-page color ad in concert programs (approx. 5”x3.875” horizontal).

    • Acknowledgement of your company on the Sponsors page of all concert programs.

    • Your company name listed on the Sponsors page of the Wilmington Voices website.

    • Quarter-page color ad in concert programs (approx. 5”x1.8” horizontal).

We would be thrilled to have your company affiliate with Wilmington Voices, and hope that you see the value in partnering with our organization through our Corporate Sponsorship program. If you have any questions regarding our Corporate Sponsorship Program, please contact our Board President, James Taylor, at james@wilmingtonvoices.com