Kedrick Armstrong gave his first downbeat as Music Director of the Oakland Symphony on October 18, drawing raves from the crowd and critics:
“A striking debut, promising an exciting new era for the symphony… “
Leoni Day / The Daily Californian (Berkeley)
“In Kedrick Armstrong, the Oakland Symphony has found a musician who appears to be a perfect fit. A superb conductor whose musical tastes dovetail cleanly with the ensemble’s recent history…Armstrong led an unflagging performance that lifted the spirit. The orchestra certainly seemed inspired by its new leader…It was exhilarating…”
Michael Zwiebach / San Francisco Classical Voice
“Armstrong and the orchestra were in glorious accord…The orchestra sounded as fine as it ever has… With more performances like this one, the lights will shine in bright affirmation…”
Steven Winn / San Francisco Chronicle
For their next performance, Kedrick Armstrong, the Oakland Symphony, and Oakland Symphony Chorus will present two works by Shawn Okpebholo: the acclaimed Zoom! and a new work co-commissioned by the orchestra, Two Black Churches. The work memorializes the victims of the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, and the 2015 shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The evening concludes with Carl Orff’s ecstatic Carmina Burana.
THIS FRIDAY (November 8) at 8:00pm, the Oakland Symphony and Music Director Kedrick Armstrong present Two Black Churches & Carmina Burana. The performance is at The Paramount (2025 Broadway, Oakland • take BART to
19 th Street station). Tickets start at just $25. Slipped Disc readers can enjoy a 15% discount on all other priced tickets with this promotional code: DISC110824.
OAKLAND SYMPHONY
Oakland Symphony Orchestra
Kedrick Armstrong, conductor
SHAWN OKPEBHOLO: Zoom!
SHAWN OKPEBHOLO: Two Black Churches
CARL ORFF: Carmina Burana
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