Sydney Arrendell is currently the Music Director and Conductor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Community Orchestra. This is an organization she formed to reach out to amateur musicians in the community, especially adults that enjoyed music earlier in their lives and want an opportunity to to play again. The orchestra plays a variety of music, including classics, works by living composers, and popular music. She also serves as the Alegria orchestra conductor for El Sistema Oklahoma. Their mission is to “serve the community by engaging children within an ensemble based music program so they can share the joy of music making and grow as responsible and productive citizens” (elsistemaok.org). It is a privilege to serve students in the Oklahoma City area with a creative outlet to foster their personal growth.

She also conducts the chancel choir and orchestra at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. As the conductor at St. Luke’s Edmond, she’s had many opportunities to conduct church orchestras formed by professional musicians in the Oklahoma City metro area, as well as worked with several professional singers as part of their St. Luke’s on Broadway summer series, including Megan Picerno and Eryn LeCroy.

Ms. Arrendell has attended several workshops and music camps throughout her education. She participated in the University of Colorado’s Orchestral Conductor’s workshop with Gary Lewis in 2018; the International Institute for Conductors with Charles Gambetta and Ovidiu Balan in 2018; and Oklahoma City University’s conducting symposium in 2016. As a pianist, she participated as a pianist in the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria and performed in the Esterhazy palace. She also went to Brevard Music Center and performed in a piano recital.

Ms. Arrendell participates in seminars and symposiums to connect and learn from leading female conductors. She attended Cascade Conducting Online Seminars with Sarah Iaonnides, attended the Women in Classical Music Symposium hosted by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and is mentored by Tiffany Chang through the Girls Who Conduct Early Career Program.

Sydney earned her master’s degree from Oklahoma City University, studying with Jeffrey Grogan. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma in piano performance and studied with Dr. Jane Magrath, a renowned piano pedagogue. While a graduate conductor for the Oklahoma City University Symphony Orchestra, she also assisted with the Oklahoma Youth Orchestra and was assistant music director for productions at Oklahoma City University.

For information on the St. Luke’s Community Orchestra, please follow this link: https://choirstl.com/community-orchestra-at-saint-lukes/