Kenneth Kilgore, Artistic Director

Kenneth Kilgore, founder and artistic director of the Ambassadors' Concert Choir, is a native of Oklahoma City. He holds a B.S. degree in education from Bishop College in Dallas and the Master of Education degree from Langston University. He is working toward a Ph.D. in educational administration at Oklahoma State University. He studied organ with Dr. Antone Godding at Oklahoma City University.

Kenneth has been Minister of Music at St. John Missionary Baptist Church since 1970. He is responsible for the tape ministry, orchestra, vocal music, drama department, the praise/devotion committee and the metered hymn ministry. The St. John Fine Arts Department consists of over 350 members.

In 1995, St. John celebrated Kilgore's 25th year as their minister of music. During Kenneth's tenure, the music department has been recognized as a model for the Black Church in the areas of organizational structure, departmental growth and sound music programming for all age groups, from nursery school children to sacred music for senior citizens.

Mr. Kilgore has been a guest clinician in Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Washington, D.C. He is Assistant Chapter Representative in Oklahoma for the James Cleveland Gospel Music Workshop of America. Kenneth has been a consultant to many churches and pastors on the development of a well-balanced church music program. In 1997 Kilgore was guest clinician for the Sacred Choral Music Workshop sponsored by the Dallas Metroplex Chapter of the National Association of Negro Musicians.

Numerous honors have been bestowed on Mr. Kilgore: In 1992, he and the Ambassadors' Concert Choir were inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame; in 1995 he received the Arts & Letters Conducting Award from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In 1996 he was awarded the State of Oklahoma Arts Award by Governor Frank Keating and the Faithful Service Award for 10 years of service to the OK chapter of the Gospel Music WOrkshop of America. In 1997 he received the Oklahoma MUsician of the Year Award from the OK Federation of Music Clubs. He has been cited in Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities, 2000-2001. In 1984 Kilgore was awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Excellence in Performance by Langston University; in 1982 he was named one of the Outstanding Young Men of America. In addition, Kilgore has received awards and citations from churches and civic organizations for service given and musical excellence.

Mr. Kilgore and the Ambassadors have been the special guest of Maestro Herrara de la Fuente and the Mineria Symphony Orchestra in Mexico City in 1987. They returned for two command performances in 1991 and 1994. The choir has appeared before the joint session of the Oklahoma Legislature, and has presented a program with internationally known baritone opera singer Simon Estes. In 1994 Mr. Kilgore and opera singer Leona Mitchell collaborated in a concert with the Ambassadors on the campus of Oklahoma City University.

The Ambassadors received national acclaim in 1996 when they performed on national television during the first anniversary commemorative service of the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. The Choir performed with Vince Gill in November 2002 at the dedication of the Oklahoma state capitol dome. The Ambassadors' have been the guests of the Canterbury Choral Society at their Christmas concert on three occasions.

Being a single man, Mr. Kilgore loves to spend time with this godchildren. He enjoys movies and traveling, and is a loyal fan of the soap opera All My Children.

"Shout joyfully to God all you on earth, sing praise to the glory of His name." ~ Psalms 66:1