Director of Vocal Performance Training & Opera
Shenandoah Conservatory invites applications for a bold artist excited by changes in the opera/music drama industry and passionate about preparing classical singers to thrive in the changing 21st century marketplace to join the Conservatory’s Vocal/Choral Division faculty as the inaugural Director of Vocal Performance and Opera. This full-time position, with rank dependent upon qualifications, begins in August of 2020.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The chosen candidate will be excited to join a distinguished faculty and one of the country’s premiere collaborative arts communities. She/he will have industry-informed vision for what classical music vocal performance training should look like in the 2020s and beyond, and be excited to take leadership within a highly innovative Conservatory to oversee opera-related training and vocal performance degrees (BM, MM, DMA), aligning both with leading-edge industry trends. Importantly, she/he will be energized by opportunities to collaborate with both voice and theatre faculty within the Conservatory.
Teaching and general responsibilities will likely include the below:
Contributions to program development and recruitment, Conservatory-wide collaboration, and support for Shenandoah University business and faculty work is expected.
Required Skills
QUALIFICATIONS:
Shenandoah University is committed to enriching its educational experience and culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration, and staff. All candidates are strongly encouraged to include a statement in their cover letters addressing ways in which they may be able to contribute to that commitment.
Complete application submissions will include a letter of intent, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three professional references. The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a qualified candidate is selected. A pre-employment background check will be required. If the job requires driving for University business, a satisfactory driving record will also be required.
Additional materials such links to videos, or course materials may be requested after initial review by the committee.
Click HERE to apply for this position. At the resulting page, click one of the “Resume/CV” button choices in the “Apply” box at the bottom of the posting to input your information. If this is the first time you will have applied to a Shenandoah University position using this process, please choose the “New” option. Be prepared to upload the previously referenced documents as you go through this process.
Shenandoah University prohibits discrimination against and harassment of any employee or any applicant for employment because of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law.
ABOUT THE VOCAL/CHORAL DIVISION
Led by 9 full-time and 8 part-time faculty, the Conservatory’s Vocal/Choral Division oversees an exceptional array of programs. The Conservatory’s CHORAL PROGRAM includes a Grammy®-award winning choir with extensive international touring experience and work with premier conductors. The Conservatory’s efforts around OPERA TRAINING is currently most notable for its attention to innovative productions within intimate spaces. It’s annual Opera Up Close production presents students in a black box venue with chamber accompaniment. The season has also traditionally included one mainstage production per season as well as residencies by major opera directors and master clinicians. Shenandoah Conservatory has a distinguished and leading association with voice pedagogy and was the country’s first institution to offer a master of music in CONTEMPORARY COMMERCIAL MUSIC (CCM) Voice Pedagogy. The summer CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute has attracted more than 1,500 voice teachers over the past eighteen years, making the Conservatory the go-to center for CCM training both nationally and worldwide. Finally, VOICE-SCIENCE RESEARCH is a central part of the Conservatory’s 21st century outlook, and is fostered by its Voice Research Center that enables the Conservatory to contribute vital data about the voice to peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals worldwide.
RELATED THEATRE DIVISION PROGRAMS: Ranked among the best in the nation, the Conservatory’s MUSICAL THEATRE program (Theatre Division) is anchored in a robust partnership between the Vocal/Choral and the Theatre and Dance divisions. Shenandoah Conservatory also includes a resident professional summer stock theatre, SHENANDOAH SUMMER MUSIC THEATRE (SSMT). As one of the country’s largest campus-based summer musical theatre seasons, SSMT produces three major musicals each summer, employs student and professional actors in the company, and welcomes over 20,000 patrons annually.
ABOUT SHENANDOAH CONSERVATORY
Shenandoah Conservatory was founded in 1875 and has an extraordinary legacy of shaping music and the performing arts in Virginia and beyond. Located at the head of the historic Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, VA, 70 miles west of Washington DC, the Conservatory is now home to over 640 award-winning students from across the nation and globe enrolled in baccalaureate, masters and doctoral curricula in the areas of music, theater, and dance, and includes a distinguished faculty of over 125, half of whom are full-time.
Beyond being a comprehensive performing arts school, Shenandoah Conservatory is home to exceptional artists and scholars who are unusually oriented towards collaboration and innovative approaches to the career preparation of students. The Conservatory’sShenCoLAB (formerly titled Student Performance Week) is but one example of the Conservatory’s nation-leading embrace of innovation and collaboration; a (first-in-the country) week-long stoppage of all classes and rehearsals across all programs with the school turned over to students for student-led (and faculty mentored) collaborative projects. The Conservatory’s proximity to Washington D.C. and Dulles Airport, ensures easy access to and regular interaction with professionals from around the country and world. www.su.edu/conservatory
As a school uniquely committed to rigor, care, and innovation, Shenandoah Conservatory is home to exceptional artists and scholars who are strongly oriented towards collaboration, mentorship, and innovative approaches to the career preparation of students. The Conservatory’s ShenCoLAB (formerly titled Student Performance Week) is but one example of the Conservatory’s nation-leading embrace of innovation and collaboration; a (first-in-the country) week-long stoppage of all classes and rehearsals across all programs with the school turned over to students for student-led (and faculty mentored) collaborative projects.
Shenandoah University is a diverse institution of approximately 3,600 students enrolled in baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral curricula in business, arts and sciences, health professions, and performing arts. Shenandoah University is an independent, coeducational institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Please visit www.su.edu for more information.
Required Experience
QUALIFICATIONS:
Shenandoah University is committed to enriching its educational experience and culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration, and staff. All candidates are strongly encouraged to include a statement in their cover letters addressing ways in which they may be able to contribute to that commitment.
Complete application submissions will include a letter of intent, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three professional references. The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a qualified candidate is selected. A pre-employment background check will be required. If the job requires driving for University business, a satisfactory driving record will also be required.
Additional materials such links to videos, or course materials may be requested after initial review by the committee.
Click HERE to apply for this position. At the resulting page, click one of the “Resume/CV” button choices in the “Apply” box at the bottom of the posting to input your information. If this is the first time you will have applied to a Shenandoah University position using this process, please choose the “New” option. Be prepared to upload the previously referenced documents as you go through this process.
Shenandoah University prohibits discrimination against and harassment of any employee or any applicant for employment because of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law.
ABOUT THE VOCAL/CHORAL DIVISION
Led by 9 full-time and 8 part-time faculty, the Conservatory’s Vocal/Choral Division oversees an exceptional array of programs. The Conservatory’s CHORAL PROGRAM includes a Grammy®-award winning choir with extensive international touring experience and work with premier conductors. The Conservatory’s efforts around OPERA TRAINING is currently most notable for its attention to innovative productions within intimate spaces. It’s annual Opera Up Close production presents students in a black box venue with chamber accompaniment. The season has also traditionally included one mainstage production per season as well as residencies by major opera directors and master clinicians. Shenandoah Conservatory has a distinguished and leading association with voice pedagogy and was the country’s first institution to offer a master of music in CONTEMPORARY COMMERCIAL MUSIC (CCM) Voice Pedagogy. The summer CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute has attracted more than 1,500 voice teachers over the past eighteen years, making the Conservatory the go-to center for CCM training both nationally and worldwide. Finally, VOICE-SCIENCE RESEARCH is a central part of the Conservatory’s 21st century outlook, and is fostered by its Voice Research Center that enables the Conservatory to contribute vital data about the voice to peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals worldwide.
RELATED THEATRE DIVISION PROGRAMS: Ranked among the best in the nation, the Conservatory’s MUSICAL THEATRE program (Theatre Division) is anchored in a robust partnership between the Vocal/Choral and the Theatre and Dance divisions. Shenandoah Conservatory also includes a resident professional summer stock theatre, SHENANDOAH SUMMER MUSIC THEATRE (SSMT). As one of the country’s largest campus-based summer musical theatre seasons, SSMT produces three major musicals each summer, employs student and professional actors in the company, and welcomes over 20,000 patrons annually.
ABOUT SHENANDOAH CONSERVATORY
Shenandoah Conservatory was founded in 1875 and has an extraordinary legacy of shaping music and the performing arts in Virginia and beyond. Located at the head of the historic Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, VA, 70 miles west of Washington DC, the Conservatory is now home to over 640 award-winning students from across the nation and globe enrolled in baccalaureate, masters and doctoral curricula in the areas of music, theater, and dance, and includes a distinguished faculty of over 125, half of whom are full-time.
Beyond being a comprehensive performing arts school, Shenandoah Conservatory is home to exceptional artists and scholars who are unusually oriented towards collaboration and innovative approaches to the career preparation of students. The Conservatory’sShenCoLAB (formerly titled Student Performance Week) is but one example of the Conservatory’s nation-leading embrace of innovation and collaboration; a (first-in-the country) week-long stoppage of all classes and rehearsals across all programs with the school turned over to students for student-led (and faculty mentored) collaborative projects. The Conservatory’s proximity to Washington D.C. and Dulles Airport, ensures easy access to and regular interaction with professionals from around the country and world. www.su.edu/conservatory
As a school uniquely committed to rigor, care, and innovation, Shenandoah Conservatory is home to exceptional artists and scholars who are strongly oriented towards collaboration, mentorship, and innovative approaches to the career preparation of students. The Conservatory’s ShenCoLAB (formerly titled Student Performance Week) is but one example of the Conservatory’s nation-leading embrace of innovation and collaboration; a (first-in-the country) week-long stoppage of all classes and rehearsals across all programs with the school turned over to students for student-led (and faculty mentored) collaborative projects.
Shenandoah University is a diverse institution of approximately 3,600 students enrolled in baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral curricula in business, arts and sciences, health professions, and performing arts. Shenandoah University is an independent, coeducational institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Please visit www.su.edu for more information.