Born in Vancouver Canada, Colin began his musical training as a trumpet player in elementary school. He continued as an instrumental musician and educator through his undergraduate degrees. His passion for the choral art was ignited by a performance by the 1990 National Youth Choir of Canada, under the brilliant direction of James Fankhauser. Since hearing "the sound," his life's path changed from instrumental music to the choral art.

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Colin continued his education at Canada's preeminent graduate choral conducting program at the University of Alberta, under the tutelage of Leonard Ratzlaff. He earned the M.M. degree in 2000. After five years of public school teaching, Colin determined it was time to continue his education.

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Colin began doctoral studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the fall of 2006, spending three years in Illinois working with excellent choral, vocal, and musicology professors, including John Hill, Barrington Coleman, and Chester L. Alwes. Shortly after completing his doctoral recital (even before completing his DMA) he was hired by Susquehanna University (SU) in Selinsgrove, PA.

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Dr. Armstrong began at SU in the fall 2009 semester as assistant professor of choral music education. In addition to conducting the 50-voice Chorale, he taught ear training, choral methods and observed student teachers in choral placements. After four years of work in Pennsylvania, he decided to move on in search of more conducting opportunities.

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In the fall of 2013, Dr. Armstrong began as Director of Choral Music at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. In addition to conducting the mixed College Choir and Women's Chamber Choir, he taught diction, ear training and choral conducting. Also in the fall of 2013, he took over as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Catskill Choral Society. 

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During his three-year term with the Catskill Choral Society, Dr. Armstrong conducted many masterworks with orchestra. These included Bach's Magnificat, Charpentier's "Messe de minuit," and F.J. Haydn's "Lord Nelson Mass." He initiated a partnership with Binghamton University's graduate opera program, inviting masters students to sing solo roles in the masterwork performances.

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Colin took great pride in initiating the youth and children's choir outreach programs. The longterm goal was to create a "schola cantorum" type program that taught singing, music literacy, and performance skills from children aged six through fifteen. At that age, they qualified to audition for an apprenticeship program to sing with the adult choir.

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Colin now resides full time in Rehoboth Beach, DE. He has taught a private voice studio through the Music School of Delaware in Milford, and now is a music substitute music teacher for Sussex Tech HS in Georgetown and the Milford School District.

 

Dr. Armstrong began his current tenure as Artistic Director & Conductor of the Southern Delaware Chorale in January 2018. Since he began, he has raised the artistic quality and profile of this amateur ensemble. Under his direction, the group performed a full version of Handel's Messiah with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and four professional soloists. The relationship with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony concluded the 2018/2019 season with a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

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Colin's education and experiences with the Catskill Choral Society and the Southern Delaware Chorale have resulted in an acute ability to improve amateur singers' sound through appropriate vocal pedagogy and well-structured rehearsal techniques.

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