The Oakland Symphony has announced that Kedrick Armstrong will be its new Music Director.

Armstrong will become the ninth Music Director of the orchestra in its almost 100-year history. Past Music Directors include Michael Morgan (1991-2021), Orley See (1933–1958), Harold Farberman (1971–78), and Calvin Simmons (1979–1982).

In his new position, Armstrong will conduct the orchestra’s public concerts in and around the Bay Area and will actively participate in the organization’s active education and community engagement programs.

The conductor has performed with the Oakland Symphony over the years and during the 2023-24 season he led three Oakland Symphony programs and guest conducted the Orchestra.

In a statement, Armstrong said, “I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new music director of the Oakland Symphony. As an African-American conductor, I find it humbling to stand on the shoulders of both Michael Morgan and Calvin Simmons, the most recent and the first African-American Music Directors of the Symphony. The Oakland Symphony community has embraced me with open arms since my first visit in 2022 and ‘The Town’ immediately felt like a place I wanted to call home. The board, administration, and I are already building a relationship guided by trust, collaboration, and innovation, deeply rooted in the transformative work that has been a part of the Oakland Symphony’s legacy for many decades.”