Oakland Public Conservatory of Music

Founded in 2005, the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music (OPC) is dedicated to providing musical education grounded in the African American experience, with an understanding of its role in the development of American music and culture. OPC’s vision is that everyone experiences healing, harmony, nonviolence, and safe streets through learning, playing, and experiencing music together. Their music and educational offerings resonate with the aspirations of our communities by reclaiming spirit, culture, and illuminating ancestral authenticity. OPC’s ethos centers on developing a music teaching and learning environment grounded in racial and social justice, ensuring access to music education for under-resourced and underserved populations of Oakland. The founding director, Angela Wellman has been honored with the 2018 Jazz Hero Award by the Jazz Journalists Association, the Arts Commision of the County of Alameda 2021 Arts Leadership Award, the Black Joy Parade’s 2023 Icons Among Us award, and induction to the 2023 Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame.