Assistant Conductor Omaha Symphony – Omaha, NE

About the Position The Assistant Conductor is an integral member of the artistic leadership team and conducting staff of the Omaha Symphony. In collaboration with key staff, s/he is responsible for creatively planning and executing the Omaha Symphony’s industry-leading Education and Community Engagement concerts and activities. These highly-visible programs are essential to the Omaha Symphony’s mission and serve nearly 30,000 participants annually. The Assistant Conductor also provides vital support for the Omaha Symphony’s Music Director, Principal Pops & Resident Conductor, guest conductors, and musicians as cover conductor for all of the orchestra’s activities. The Assistant Conductor position is a two-season appointment (2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons), with the potential for an additional two-season extension. Winning candidate must be available to begin work in Omaha on or before November, 27, 2017. Key Responsibilities Write, program, host, and conduct Education and Community Engagement concerts, residencies, and tours, in collaboration with and as assigned by the Music Director, Principal Pops & Resident Conductor, and Omaha Symphony staff. Conduct other programs as assigned. Assist with offstage conducting needs, prepare scores and call sound/light/supertitle cues as required. Serve as cover conductor for all other Omaha Symphony orchestra services including the MasterWorks and Symphony Joslyn classical series, Symphony Pops, Symphony Rocks, Movies, and Family series, special concerts, and fee engagements. Participate in mentoring relationships with Omaha Symphony Music Director, Principal Pops & Resident Conductor, and senior staff. Actively engage with Omaha Symphony musicians and guest artists. Plan and host Community Engagement activities, including pre-concert lectures and events with community partners. Administrative duties which will include, but are not limited to, attending artistic planning meetings, as well as staff, board, and committee meetings. Public relations duties, which will include media appearances, public speaking engagements, and other functions where the Assistant Conductor represents the Omaha Symphony. Candidate Profile The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional musicianship and conducting skills, and have a broad knowledge of orchestra repertoire in particular and familiarity with all genres of music in general. S/he will have strong communication, interpersonal, leadership, and organizational skills. Creativity, flexibility, and the ability to work under pressure are extremely important to this position. A minimum of five years’ conducting experience with symphony orchestras, including with education concerts, is required. Bachelors level college or conservatory degree in music or conducting required, and an advanced degree or training is preferred. A detailed knowledge of orchestra operations, including familiarity with concert programming, professional performance practice, and the parameters of a union work environment are essential for this position. The successful candidate must be able to work well with resident and visiting artists with a broad spectrum of personalities. Assistant Conductor must work days, evenings, and weekends as required. Assistant Conductor shall reside in Omaha for the duration of the appointment. Applicants must legally be able to work in the United States. Compensation and Benefits Salary will be $40,000 for the 2017/18 season (pro-rated based on starting date) and $41,080 for the 2018/19 season. Annual salary is based on a July 1 – June 30 fiscal year. The Symphony will purchase or provide all scores required to fulfill conducting and cover duties. The Assistant Conductor is eligible for the following benefits: Paid Leave (sick, vacation, personal, bereavement) Health and Dental Insurance Life, AD&D, and Long-term Disability Insurance Flexible Spending Account Workers’ Compensation Complimentary Tickets: Available, depending on sales. Application Procedure Candidates are requested to submit the following materials no later than Friday, August 18, 2017 . All materials must be submitted electronically, with written materials sent as either PDF or MS Word files. Candidates will be notified once their application has been received. Cover Letter Résumé References and/or letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are strongly encouraged. Videos a. Videos must show recent conducting experience and would ideally include a varied selection of repertoire. Performance and/or rehearsal videos are acceptable. b. Videos must be of the conductor from the orchestra’s vantage point. c. Videos must submitted via YouTube, Vimeo, or similar online video hosting services. Do not send videos as files attached to emails. If videos are password protected, please be sure to include password information. If using YouTube, videos may be marked as “unlisted” but please DO NOT mark videos as “private.” Online video submission must be easily accessible by multiple users. Audition Process An audition committee including Omaha Symphony conducting staff, musicians, and administrative staff will review applications and may further screen potential candidates through preliminary interviews and contact with references. The committee will select up to seven candidates and up to four alternates to invite to the live audition. On September 15, 2017 candidates will be notified of their invitation to the live audition, and all other applicants will be informed that they have not been selected to continue the audition process. The audition with orchestra will take place on Sunday, October, 15, 2017 . The first round of the audition will include podium time for all invited candidates on identical repertoire. The audition committee will then select up to four finalists to advance to the interview and second conducting round. During the panel interview with the audition committee, candidates will be expected to present outlines of an education program and a separate community engagement initiative of their design, in addition to general interview Q&A. The second conducting round will include a demonstration of audience communication and rehearsal of selected repertoire. Finalists will be notified about the outcome of the audition by Friday, October 20. About the Omaha Symphony Celebrating its centennial in 2021, the Omaha Symphony employs Nebraska’s largest complement of professional performing artists and is widely regarded as the finest musical ensemble in the region. The orchestra offers MasterWorks, Symphony Pops, Symphony Rocks, Movie Music, and Family Concerts from Omaha’s Holland Performing Arts Center, an architectural and acoustic marvel in the heart of downtown. A classical orchestra series is also presented at the Joslyn Art Museum. In addition to performing concerts of the highest caliber, Music Director Thomas Wilkins, Principal Pops Conductor Ernest Richardson, and the versatile musicians of the Omaha Symphony engage the community through nationally recognized education programs, community partnerships, tours, and other special events. The Omaha Symphony Association operates with an annual budget of approximately $7.5 million. The endowment exceeds $25 million. The musicians most-recently ratified a five-year master agreement that extends through the 2018/19 season. Music Director Thomas Wilkins is contracted through the 2020/21 season. Thomas Wilkins has served as music director of the Omaha Symphony since 2005. He is principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and holds the Germeshausen Family and Youth Concert Conductor chair with the Boston Symphony. Past positions have included resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony and the Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay), and associate conductor of the Richmond (Va.) Symphony. Devoted to promoting a life-long enthusiasm for music, Thomas Wilkins brings energy and commitment to audiences of all ages. He and his wife Sheri-Lee are the proud parents of twin daughters, Erica and Nicole. Principal Pops & Resident Conductor Ernest Richardson joined the Omaha Symphony during the 1993/94 season. As chief architect of the Omaha Symphony’s education and community engagement programs and leader of the Symphony Pops, Symphony Rocks, and Movie Music series, Richardson has developed the structure and function for flagship Omaha Symphony programs including the Family series, Symphony Joslyn series, Choral Collaborative, Celebrate Creativity, Mission Imagination and the Christmas Celebration. He is also an accomplished composer, arranger, and violist. Concertmaster Susanna Perry Gilmore earned her Bachelor’s degree in music from Oxford University, England. As a post-graduate, she spent a year in the Advanced Solo Studies Program at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where she studied with violinist Yfrah Neaman; she then received her Master’s degree in Violin Performance from New England Conservatory in Boston under the instruction of James Buswell. Prior to her studies in England, Ms. Gilmore studied with Christian Teal at the Blair School of Music and Mimi Zweig at Indiana University. Prior to her time in Omaha, she was Concertmaster of the Memphis Symphony and was instrumental in creating the “Opus One” new music series. About the Education and Community Engagement Programs The Omaha Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement programming involves a wide array of partners such as the Boy Scouts, El Museo Latino, Girls, Inc., Girl Scouts, Heartland Family Services, Omaha Area Youth Orchestras, Omaha Conservatory of Music Violin Sprouts, Omaha Public Schools, and Salvation Army Kroc Center. Performance activities include: Regional touring and residencies Omaha Symphony musicians and the Omaha Symphony Chamber Orchestra teach and perform throughout Nebraska as part of a structured education initiative. Carnegie Link Up Fourth through sixth grade students learn how to play the recorder and join the Omaha Symphony in a culminating play-along concert starring the students. Celebrate Creativity Middle and high school students participate in hands-on learning activities led by creative industry professionals and a gallery tour of Joslyn Art Museum. The experience culminates in an Omaha Symphony concert that draws students into an active conversation to explore the nature of art. Choral Collaborative A 500-voice chorus of high school singers performs with the Omaha Symphony. ( Conducted by Ernest Richardson ) Educator as Maestro Music educators conduct the Omaha Symphony in a masterclass setting under the guidance of Music Director Thomas Wilkins. Margre Durham Concerts for Youth Fourth through sixth grade students attend Omaha Symphony performances that integrate classroom curriculums with live symphonic music. Mission Imagination The Omaha Symphony performs in schools for Pre-K through third grade students with imaginative story-telling and engaging orchestral music. Music Mentors Middle and high school instrumental students participate in side-by-side rehearsals with Omaha Symphony musicians. Community Concerts The Omaha Symphony collaborates with local partners such as Temple Israel, El Museo Latino, and the Salvation Army Kroc Center to bring customized and community-driven programming to the Omaha area. About Omaha With a cost of living lower than the national average, clean air and water, short commutes, and all the cultural and entertainment amenities of a city twice its size, the greater Omaha area is nationally recognized as a great place to live, work, and play. Rated #1 Best City with the Biggest Bang for Your Buck (The Fiscal Times) Rated #1 Most Recession Proof City (Brookings Institution) Rated #2 America’s 10 Best Cities for Professional Women (Movoto Blog) Rated #2 Best City for Recent Grads (The Daily Beast) Rated #3 Best City to Live, Work and Play (Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine) Cost of living is 10 to 12 percent below the national average (Sperling’s Best Places) Median price of an existing home is well below the national average Crime rate consistently lower than similarly sized metropolitan areas One of the 20 Awesome Cities You Need to Visit in Your 20s (Huffington Post) One of the 10 Best Cities for Millennials Right Now (The Atlantic Wire) One of the Six Cities Where Startups are Thriving (Money) Omaha’s unique blend of Fortune 500 companies, visionary nonprofits, award-winning arts and culture, and innovative start-ups attracts a range of world-class talent – from entrepreneurs to artists – and there is no shortage of things to do! Music lovers enjoy the Saddle Creek indie scene, arena shows at the CenturyLink Center, orchestra concerts at the world famous Holland Performing Arts Center, and Broadway shows at the Orpheum Theater. Art lovers can take in a film at internationally recognized art house Film Streams, visit the Joslyn Art Museum’s world-class collection and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, and visit independent galleries. Outdoor activities abound, including hiking in Fontenelle Forest or the nearby hills of Iowa, strolling the more than 100 acres at the Lauritzen Gardens, and walking, running and biking on paved waterfront trails. Sports fans will enjoy the NCAA College World Series (CWS), United States Olympic Swimming Trials, and the Kansas City Royals’ AAA affiliate team, the Omaha Storm Chasers.