Assistant/Associate Professor of Guitar & Director of Guitar Studies

Shenandoah Conservatory, one of the country’s leading centers for collaborative work across the performing arts, is seeking nominations and applications for an exceptional guitarist, innovative teacher, recruiter, and savvy 21st century musician to join the Instrumental Division faculty as Asst/Assoc Professor of Guitar and Director of Guitar Studies. (Rank dependent upon qualifications.) This full-time and career-contract track position begins August 2022.

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’s ShenCoLAB 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, DC, and Dulles Airport, ensures easy access to and regular interaction with professionals from around the country and world. www.su.edu/conservatory

Shenandoah University is a diverse institution of approximately 3,800 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.

Shenandoah University is committed to enriching its educational experience and culture through the diversity and inclusion of its faculty, administration, and staff. All candidates are requested to include a statement in their cover letters addressing ways in which they may be able to contribute to that commitment. (See Application instructions.) Shenandoah University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation

Responsibilities:

Building on exceptional musicianship and a passion for both performance and teaching, the chosen candidate will further build the guitar studio and help to advance the Conservatory’s reputation as a premier and innovative place of study where artists from diverse backgrounds actively engage around innovative and collaborative work.

Specifically, the desired candidate will:

• Teach applied guitar and courses in guitar pedagogy, guitar history and literature, and coach chamber music groups including guitar ensembles;
• Contribute to recruiting efforts to attract highly talented students and further build the guitar studio;
• Support and advance forward-oriented approaches to career preparation of music performance students;
• Actively contribute to curriculum discussions and a faculty community (both within and beyond the Conservatory) that is oriented towards collaboration, innovation and inclusion;
• Be centrally involved in a special online guitar institute (currently in formation);
• Maintain a high-profile in guitar performance while being intensely engaged in Conservatory and University life, including contributing to school-wide conversations and committees, and participating in division meetings, auditions, and recruitment activities; and
• Actively contribute to the Conservatory’s commitment to Inclusion, Diversity and Equity.

Contributions to program development and recruitment, Conservatory-wide collaboration, and support for Shenandoah University business and faculty work is expected.

Required Skills

Qualifications include the following:

1.An exceptional and collaborative artist with broad teaching experience and significant professional accomplishments as a performer at national or international levels;

2.Ability and interest to effectively attract and recruit students;

3.A forward-orientation to music careers and demonstrated ability to thrive in the 21st century marketplace by, for example, employing media (e.g., social media, YouTube, streaming services) to effectively build listeners/followers;

4.Demonstrated orientation towards collaborative work;

5.Eligibility to work in the United States;

6.Ability and interest to contribute to the Conservatory’s commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity; and

7.Possession of a DMA or equivalent professional experience.


How to Apply:


Complete application submissions will include a cover letter, and a curriculum vitae complete with links to performance videos and contact information for three professional references. Please note that diversity and inclusion are important parts of Shenandoah University's mission. In your cover letter, please include one to two paragraphs describing how you envision supporting a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment in the guitar studio area.

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.

**Note: A pre-employment background check, fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or on a University approved medical or religious exemption, as well as a satisfactory driving record will be required as a condition of hire.

Shenandoah University values the unique and diverse perspectives of individuals and communities locally and globally and seeks to foster mutual understanding in an inviting community where individuals are welcome and respected. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran’s status or on any other basis protected under applicable law.

Salary Type
Not Applicable