Hartford Chorale is thrilled to announce the appointment of Sarah Armstrong as Executive Director.
Sarah has served the Hartford Arts Community for over 25 years as an artist, educator, director, and administrator. After earning her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, Sarah moved to Chicago where she began her professional singing career. Starting as a member of the chorus at the Lyric Opera of Chicago for five seasons, she spent another five years as a solo artist performing both domestically and abroad. In 1998, Sarah settled in the Hartford area and spent the next 25 years as an artist, arts educator, and administrator in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. Sarah was named a Surdna Arts Fellow in 2006, a Shining Star in Teaching Excellence in 2011 and was awarded the Harold Grinspoon Award for Teaching Excellence in 2016. Sarah was a 2018 recipient of the Rod Clarke Endowment to Support Advanced Faculty Degrees and earned a Master of Arts in Theater Education from the University of Northern Colorado. In 2021, she was the recipient of the J.P. Mandler Teaching Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching and was acknowledged by the University of Chicago for excellence in teaching and mentorship. These honors also allowed her to teach and perform in Canada, England, Ireland, Wales, Italy, and Africa. Sarah is currently on the voice faculty at Central Connecticut State University, a founding member of The Halcyon Duo, performing with classical guitarist and composer Thomas Schuttenhelm, a member of Connecticut Choral Artists (CONCORA), Voce, and serves as a section leader for both the Hartford Chorale and the Asylum Hill Congregational Church (AHCC) Sanctuary Choir. Sarah and her husband Dylan are the newly appointed co-chairs of the AHCC Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival, a time-honored tradition of music and pageantry in Hartford. Sarah is honored to be Hartford Chorale’s next Executive Director, and to further the arts here in Hartford, the city she loves so much. Sarah and Dylan reside in the Historic West End with their two cats, Pippa and Tobey.
“We are thrilled to have Sarah join our leadership team”, says Lalitha Shivaswamy, President of the Board of Governors. “Sarah is no stranger to Hartford Chorale, having served as Vocal Section Leader. Her organizational skills and enthusiasm for arts administration are greatly valued in our community.”
Sarah Armstrong is delighted to bring her years of experience as an artist and administrator to her new position. “I am particularly drawn to this role because of how highly regarded Hartford Chorale is in the Arts community, its partnership with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and
other symphonic ensembles throughout the region. I am impressed by the organization’s longevity, diversity of programming, educational outreach and am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the Chorale’s continued success.”
