University of Arizona is hiring: Assistant Professor of Music, Orchestra Conduct

Assistant Professor of Music, Orchestra Conductor/Director of Orchestral Activities (T/TE)

University of Arizona School of Music – Tucson, AZ, USA.

The University of Arizona School of Music invites applications for an Assistant Professor of Music – Orchestra Conductor/Director of Orchestral Activities (full‑time, 9‑month, tenure‑track). The successful candidate will be an inspirational and dynamic visionary artist with a growing record of sustained excellence in musicianship through orchestra performance, teaching, and scholarship at the university level; demonstrated success providing leadership or administrative oversight within an orchestra program; work collaboratively with faculty and students; recruit and teach outstanding undergraduate and graduate students; create and maintain an active national profile as a conductor, scholar, and pedagogue; teach graduate orchestral conducting and literature, weekly seminar and lessons for MM and DMA students; and related duties as assigned by the Director of the school.

The School of Music is accredited by the NAfME, houses approximately 300 undergraduate music majors and 130 master’s and doctoral students, and offers multiple performance spaces, a recording studio, and a Yamaha digital keyboard lab. It is an all‑Steinway School and provides a rich environment for teaching, performing, and scholarship.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Conduct the Arizona Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra, mentoring graduate teaching assistants for both ensembles.
• Conduct opera productions and collaborate on choral‑orchestral works.
• Teach graduate students in orchestral conducting, literature, and related courses, including weekly lessons for MM and DMA students and a weekly seminar with the full conducting studio.
• Supervise the graduate degree program in orchestral conducting, including qualification, comprehensive, and dissertation examinations, and mentor students through degree completion and professional placement.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to student success.
• Provide artistic and administrative leadership for the orchestral program and collaborate closely with other faculty in program planning, recruitment, and outreach.
• Maintain an active national profile as a conductor, scholar, and pedagogue.
• Work collaboratively with faculty and staff across the School of Music and the College of Fine Arts to advance performance, research, and service initiatives.
• Build and sustain partnerships and outreach with public and private schools, community organizations and professional musicians.
• Duties as assigned by the Director of the School of Music.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs)

• Current knowledge of orchestral repertoire and performance practice.
• Effective rehearsal and conducting techniques and skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills that contribute to a respectful work environment.
• Ability to support the university's efforts to build and sustain a vibrant respectful workplace.
• Ability to create imaginative/innovative concert programs.
• Ability to develop strategies in defining and supporting the future direction of the orchestra program.
• Ability to utilize and implement new pedagogies and classroom strategies to advance comprehensive learning opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability or potential for scholarly, creative, and/or research activity appropriate to rank.

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA or PhD) in Orchestra Conducting or similar from an accredited institution of higher education or commensurate professional experience.
• Minimum of three years of successful collegiate experience as an artist, teacher, and scholar of orchestral music.
• Minimum of two years of leadership or administrative oversight within an orchestral program at the university, professional, or festival level.
• Minimum of two years of experience conducting choral ensembles and opera rehearsals and performances in support of collaborative performances.
• Experience in orchestral conducting, teaching, mentoring and graduating outstanding orchestra conducting students at the collegiate or professional level.

Preferred Qualifications

• Examples of success in recruiting, mentoring, and graduating outstanding orchestral conducting students from varied musical, educational, and cultural backgrounds.
• Three years teaching graduate students.
• Evidence of effective collaboration within academic and professional settings.
• Evidence of professional recognition as an orchestra conductor, scholar, or pedagogue and potential for national or international recognition.
• Provide evidence of additional teaching strengths.
• Active engagement with appropriate professional music organizations.

Applicants Must Submit The Following Materials

• Letter of Interest describing why you are interested in the position, how you are qualified, and your artistic, pedagogical, and forward‑thinking vision for leading a comprehensive university orchestral program.
• Curriculum Vitae detailing teaching, conducting, scholarly, and professional experience plus a repertoire list of works conducted in concert.
• Philosophy of Teaching statement (one to two pages) describing your goals as an educator, relevant pedagogical training and overall approach to mentoring and educating students with varying backgrounds, interests, abilities, and prior experience.
• One representative syllabus from a recent course taught.
• Three letters of recommendation; names and contact information to enter into the application system.
• Contact information for five references who may be contacted later in the search process.
• Video portfolio (one‑page PDF with active, private links) containing recent, live, unedited footage, including approximately 15‑20 minutes of rehearsal, 15‑20 minutes of performance of contrasting works, and 10 minutes of an orchestral literature or similar lecture.

Contact: Dr. Angelo Versace – aversacet@arizona.edu

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