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Anton ArmstrongAmerican choral conductor
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 USA |
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Anton Armstrong - American Choral Conductor
Anton Armstrong is an American choral conductor, one of the directors of the St. Olaf Choir and a music professor at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. He became the fourth conductor of the St. Olaf Choir in 1990, continuing the tradition started by the choir's founder F. Melius Christiansen in 1911. The second conductor of the choir was the founder's son Olaf Christiansen, and the third was Kenneth Jennings. Armstrong also teaches conducting at the Luther Seminary and occasionally works with the Northfield Youth Choirs.
Early Life and Education
Anton Armstrong's parents emigrated from the Caribbean to New York. He grew up on Long Island, where he actively participated in the local church choir with his mother. He later joined the American Boychoir in Princeton, New Jersey, which set the course for his future. Armstrong first learned about the St. Olaf Choir when his pastor took him to a performance at Avery Fisher Hall, although Anton had tickets to see "The Moody Blues" at Madison Square Garden. Anton is the youngest of three brothers. His older brother Garry Armstrong was a reporter at WHDH-TV, Channel 7 in Boston, and his middle brother William Armstrong works in polygraphy on Long Island. Anton graduated from St. Olaf College in 1978 with a Bachelor's degree and was a member of the choir conducted by Kenneth Jennings from 1976 to 1978. Jennings became his mentor, and 12 years later, Armstrong succeeded him as the conductor of the St. Olaf Choir.
Career
After graduating from St. Olaf, Armstrong attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he obtained a Master's degree in music. He then earned his doctorate at Michigan State University. Following his education, Armstrong worked at Calvin College for about 10 years as a conductor for the Calvin Choir, Campus Choir, Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus, and Alumni Choir. He was also the conductor of the St. Cecilia Youth Chorale from 1981 to 1990 before taking on the role of director of choral activities at St. Olaf College in Northfield. He teaches choral conducting and vocal pedagogy classes, specializing in children and adolescent voices. Additionally, he serves as the artistic director of the St. Olaf Christmas Festival. Currently, Armstrong is the director of the Youth Choral Academy at the Oregon Bach Festival, a 10-day choral festival held in Eugene, Oregon. Armstrong is also the editor of Earthsongs Publications and a co-editor of Augsburg Fortress Publishers.
Achievements
Past achievements of Anton Armstrong include serving as one of the conductors for the World Youth Choir organized by the International Federation of Choral Music. He has also been involved with the American Boychoir summer program for over 20 years. Under Armstrong's direction, the St. Olaf Choir has extensively toured nationally and internationally, including tours to Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Austria, France, Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, England, and Norway. In May 2005, the choir performed for President George W. Bush and his wife during the National Day of Prayer at the White House. The choir has also performed at conventions such as the American Choral Directors Association in Chicago in 1999 and Los Angeles in 2005, as well as the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music in Minneapolis. During Armstrong's tenure as the conductor of the St. Olaf Choir, they have recorded 11 albums. In 2006, Anton Armstrong was awarded the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching by Baylor University.
