THE ST. OLAF CHOIR
Founded in 1911 by F. Melius Christiansen, the St. Olaf Choir has long been regarded as the pioneering a cappella choir in the United States. Now in its 98th year, the 75-voice ensemble led since 1990 by Anton Armstrong, is critically acclaimed as an international leader in the performance of choral music.

The St. Olaf Choir continues to be a vital artistic force through its annual tours of the United States and over one dozen international tours, which have taken the singers to continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, and Asia. Furthermore, the St. Olaf Choir serves as a model of choral excellence through its numerous recordings and as a featured ensemble of the celebrated PBS and NPR broadcasts of the St. Olaf Christmas Festival.

ANTON ARMSTRONG
Conductor Anton Armstrong, Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf College, became the fourth conductor of the St. Olaf Choir in 1990. A graduate of St. Olaf College, Armstrong earned advanced degrees at the University of Illinois and Michigan State University. He is an editor of choral series for Earthsongs Publications and Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Since June 1998, he has served as founding conductor of the Oregon Bach Festival Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy.

Active in the USA and internationally as a guest conductor and lecturer, Dr. Armstrong has been a featured clinician at the 1996 and 2008 World Symposiums on Choral Music. He has conducted All-State Choirs in nearly 40 states and returns to Israel in August 2010 to conduct the 2010 Zymriya-the World Assembly of Choirs.

In January 2006, Baylor University selected Anton Armstrong from a field of 118 distinguished nominees to receive the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching. In October 2009 he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Michigan State University.