Interim Music Director of the Peabody Opera

The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University invites applications for an interim, full-time faculty position as opera conductor/pianist/coach in the Conservatory. The ideal candidate for this position will be a passionate educator and an extraordinary musician who is committed to excellence in teaching, has a demonstrated record of national or international musical engagement as an opera conductor and coach, and enjoys working in a campus climate that promotes cultural diversity and multicultural understanding. This is an interim, one-year, full-time faculty position with the possibility of renewal. The initial appointment will begin July 1, 2021 . Compensation is commensurate with professional experience.

Located in the heart of Baltimore’s Mount Vernon Cultural District, the Peabody Institute was founded in 1857 as America’s first academy of music. Today, through its degree-granting Conservatory and its community-based Preparatory music and dance school, Peabody trains musicians and dancers of every age and at every level. Each year Peabody stages nearly 1000 major public concerts and performances. Peabody is one of the nine divisions of the Johns Hopkins University.

Opera at Peabody:
The opera program mounts two fully staged productions with orchestra in the mainstage theater every year. Each mainstage production has two casts plus a cover cast. Additionally there is an outreach program, an opera scenes program and the current program champions our unique Etudes program with the composition department, as well as a bi-annual early-music work. The vocal studies department serves up to 120 voice majors each year.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Conduct, coach and rehearse undergraduate and graduate students in rehearsals, performances, and in the classroom, exhibiting a thorough knowledge of the standard operatic repertoire, musical style, and comfort with the standard operatic languages.
• Develop and teach courses which educate singers for musical success in the ever-changing 21st century operatic scene while maintaining a strong link to the core repertory.
• Fashion a teaching outline of desirable and necessary musical and language skill sets for operatic training to be mastered by the voice students during their tenure.
• Oversee all musical aspects of two major productions, chamber operas, and scene programs, either conducting them or overseeing guest music directors or coaches, including budget and scheduling.
• Inspire singers and colleagues in other disciplines throughout Peabody and JHU to work together to take full advantage of interdisciplinary resources and opportunities.
• Foster programs that reach into the Baltimore-Washington region and bring opera into otherwise underserved communities.

Peabody’s current program champions our unique Etudes program, a collaboration with the Peabody composition department, as well as our long-standing outreach operas, and a bi-annual early-music production.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's Degree or comparable professional experience
• Minimum 5 years teaching in higher education or young artist programs
• A comprehensive knowledge of the standard operatic repertoire
• High level of familiarity and commitment to the performance of contemporary operatic repertoire and new works
• High level piano skills
• High level conducting skills
• Mastery of French, German, Italian and English language and diction. Mastery of additional language(s) a plus
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• NOTE: The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

To ensure full consideration all materials must be received by November 15, 2020, however, applications will be received until the position is filled.

Required Materials for Application:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Phone and email contact information for five references
• Links to video demonstrations excerpts of at least 3 recent opera productions directed and/or produced of varying styles. Videos(s) must be submitted via website link(s) and uploaded as one attachment.

• A statement outlining how the candidate envisions (1) the teaching opera in a conservatory setting in remote, hybrid online and in person forms and (2) how opera will change (if at all) in a post-COVID-19 world.

The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other legally protected characteristic. The university is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance and merit without regard to personal factors that are irrelevant to the program involved.

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office at jhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711.

The following additional provisions may apply depending on which campus you will work. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.

During the Influenza ("the flu") season, as a condition of employment, The Johns Hopkins Institutions require all employees who provide ongoing services to patients or work in patient care or clinical care areas to have an annual influenza vaccination or possess an approved medical or religious exception. Failure to meet this requirement may result in termination of employment.

The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.

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