Kedrick Armstrong

Kedrick Armstrong (born ) is an American conductor. He has been music director of the Oakland Symphony since 2024.

Early life and education Armstrong was born and raised in Georgetown, South Carolina. He grew up in a "very religious household", playing gospel music and becoming pianist for his church at the age of 12. He learned to play the clarinet, and gained a working knowledge of other orchestral instruments. He graduated from Wheaton in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in music. In June 2020, Armstrong wrote an open letter calling for more diversity in the college's curriculum, which had 766 co-signers and prompted reforms in the conservatory.

Armstong attended graduate school at the University of Colorado Boulder, earning a masters degree in orchestral conducting in 2023. Drawn to Boulder by their Helen Walker-Hill Collection, Armstrong's graduate research focused on Black women composers, including Julia Perry and Irene Britton Smith; he conducted a world premiere of Smith's 1956 orchestral work, Sinfonietta, with the CU Boulder Symphony Orchestra. While he was still in grad school, The Washington Post included Armstrong in a list of "22 composers and performers to watch in 2022".

Career While living in Chicago, Armstrong worked as a church music director and freelance conductor.

Personal life Armstrong lives in Oakland, California. He is queer. He enjoys cooking, and says his faith is a "big part of my life".