Director of Orchestral Activities and Engagement/Open-Rank Tenure-Track Position

The Department of Music at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, invites applications for a tenured/tenure-track faculty position in conducting (open rank) to assume the duties of Director of Orchestral Activities and Engagement. This role coordinates orchestral activities for a vibrant and comprehensive music department, conducting its premiere ensemble, the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra, and other orchestral ensembles as appropriate. The ideal candidate will be excited by the prospect of conservatory-level training within a public research university and by the opportunity to help redefine the role of the orchestra in a 21st-century music curriculum. We seek a forward-looking artist who will nurture student development and musical excellence; foster diverse and inclusive programming; seek opportunities to involve the orchestra in artistic and interdisciplinary collaborations across the school and the wider university; engage communities locally and across the state of New Jersey as a means of increasing access to the arts; cultivate strategies for using the orchestra experience as a way for students to gain entrepreneurial and community-oriented skills; and generally explore creative and innovative ways to involve students in thinking about the future relevance of the orchestra to a rapidly changing world. 

The successful candidate will be a superb musician with a record of professional achievement as a conductor and demonstrated success as a teacher.  In addition to those listed above, responsibilities include mentoring graduate conducting majors, participating in ensemble auditions, taking on an active role in recruitment with faculty colleagues and the Mason Gross admissions office, serving on departmental and university committees, and maintaining an active profile in the field appropriate to the appointed rank. The successful candidate will also bring a strong commitment to working collaboratively with faculty colleagues in the department and across the school; mentoring a diverse student population; and creating a learning environment that is both supportive of, and stimulating for, the range of music majors from the undergraduate through the doctoral level that comprise the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra.

 This position is a full-time, ten-month academic appointment with an anticipated start date of  September 1, 2022. For best consideration, apply by January 15, 2022. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. For a full position description and to apply, visit https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/148951. For questions, email Lisa Passalacqua at lpassa@mgsa.rutgers.edu. Candidates should provide a cover letter, curriculum vitae, the names and contact information of four references (who will not be contacted unless candidates advance in the process), and a one- to two-page statement that describes the candidate’s vision for the role of the orchestra in expanding access to the arts in the 21st-century.