Robbinsdale Armstrong High School Concert Choir
Stephanie Trump, Director
Dale Kruse, Assistant
Kathy Kraulik, Accompanist
The choral program at Armstrong involves approximately 500 students, one quarter of the student body, in six curricular and four extra-curricular ensembles. Students enrolled in the program have the chance to study private voice with one of several professional voice teachers. Choir students are active in most aspects of student life from various student leadership organization, National Honor Society, band, orchestra, speech, drama, opera club, speech, debate, quiz bowl, and math league. Athletes and captains representing every competitive sport offered at Armstrong consistently participate in the choral program.
The Armstrong Concert Choir is one of two top auditioned choirs. The ensemble consists of 80 juniors and seniors who earned their seats through a competitive audition. The Concert Choir tours annually, traveling in recent years to Florida, New York, Kansas City, Boston, Chicago, and central Europe. In 2005 the Armstrong Concert Choir was featured at Carnegie Hall with maestro Paul Oakley, at the Dorian Invitational Festival with Weston Noble, and at the Minnesota Music Educator’s Convention. The Concert Choir was an auditioned participant in the 2007 first annual Choral Arts Finale Festival at Orchestra Hall. In 2009 the choir was featured as a solo choir at the St. Olaf Choral Day, the Concordia Choral Festival, and in the Dorian Invitational Festival.
The work and support of the Armstrong Concert Choir and its Directors has lead to several choral commissions, dedications, and premiers by compsers such as David Dickau, Paul Oakley, Jerry Rubino, and Dale Warland. The Armstrong Concert Choir consistently has received 39 consecutive superior ratings at Minnesota State High School League contest. Additionally the Armstrong Choral Program is represented consistently in the Minnesota All-State Choirs, with semi-finalists and soloists at the Dorian Vocal Festival, and at regional NATS competitions.
Stephanie Trump, Director
Stephanie Trump holds a MA degree in Music Education from the University of Hawai’i, Manoa, and BA degrees in Vocal Performance with Departmental Honors and Music Education from Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN. Stephanie is a member of the Minnesota Music Educators Association, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Music Educators National Conference. In January 2007 she was featured as the National MENC Choral Mentor, and has been included in several consecutive editions of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and Who’s Who in America. She has served on the Board of the Minnesota chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, as Fine Arts Representative to the Region 6AA, Choral Music Coordinator for Region 6AA, and is currently a member of the Minnesota Arts Consortium Board. Stephanie is active as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the state of Minnesota.
