The Cincinnati May Festival is seeking an individual who demonstrates exceptional artistry, leadership, flexibility, and a collaborative spirit to serve as Director of Choruses whose mission is to ensure the highest possible level of artistic integrity within the May Festival Chorus in alignment with the May Festival’s mission, vision and strategic objectives as a key, consistent member of a rapidly-evolving artistic leadership model.
May Festival Mission
We exist to engage, energize and connect our community with the highest quality performances of great choral music.
May Festival Vision
The May Festival is the most exciting force in the choral world. We are a leader and catalyst in the production, presentation, and promotion of choral activities in our region and around the globe.
Position Profile: Director of Choruses
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
SKILLS & CHARACTERISTICS:
The May Festival seeks an individual who demonstrates artistic excellence, technical prowess, flexibility, and energy to prepare and lead the May Festival Chorus (MFC), a dedicated group of volunteer singers with professional expectations. They must demonstrate trust in and respect for MFC members and colleagues and seek collaboration within the framework of planning, rehearsals, and performance.
The ideal candidate will be familiar with and confident across a wide range of choral repertoire and musical forms past and present and possess a strong interest in evolving and building the canon. The candidate will be thoughtful and enthusiastic in their approach and recognition of the broad responsibilities of the Director of Choruses role, both on and off the podium. They will serve as a catalyst for innovative partnerships and impactful artistic collaborations which reflect the May Festival’s inclusive approach to programming and the diverse cultural spectrum of our community and the world.
REQUIREMENTS:
Leadership & Inspiration
The May Festival seeks an individual who will lead the May Festival Chorus with confidence while demonstrating compassion and respect. They must be committed to the MFC’s artistic development and personal well-being, collectively and individually. The Director of Choruses will serve as an inspirational force and establish a healthy rapport with singers, administration, volunteers, the board, and the community.
Communication & Collaboration
The ideal candidate will exhibit superb communication skills, seek clarity, demonstrate adaptability, and be prepared to tolerate risk within the framework of artistic expression and vision.
Advocacy
The May Festival seeks an individual whose focus embraces the organization’s vision of relevancy beyond the doors of Cincinnati Music Hall. The May Festival’s strategic objectives make it imperative that the Director of Choruses serve as an ambassador and advocate of the Chorus and the May Festival across all its stakeholders.
Personal Responsibility
The May Festival seeks candidates who will embrace and adopt the May Festival Chorus as their responsibility, with attention to preserving and enhancing its profile and strengthening the connections between the organization and collaborators throughout the region, the country, and the world.
Creativity & Vision
It is also imperative that the successful candidate encourage and support imaginative programming and be aware of and engaged with the full range of May Festival activities. The candidate must actively embrace and advocate for the May Festival’s Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Plan, including the broader choral ecosystem, the May Festival Youth Chorus, the Choral Conductor Fellowship, and other programs that aspire to serve all ages and every community in the tri-state (Southwest Ohio, Southeast Indiana, Northern Kentucky) region.
COMMITMENT AND COMPENSATION:
It is expected that the successful Director of Choruses will be an active member and resident of the greater Cincinnati metropolitan area. The Director of Choruses will be an employee of the May Festival and be eligible to participate in the organization’s health and dental benefits, Health Savings Account, life insurance, long-term disability coverage, and retirement plan. Compensation depends on experience and qualifications, no less than $110,000 annually. A detailed job description can be found here. Expected start date: August 2024
Candidate Availability:
Final candidates must be available to be in Cincinnati for 2-3 days from August 28th to September 18th, 2023—specific dates to be mutually agreed upon.
TO APPLY:
Interested parties should apply for the role by completing the following form. Priority will be given to those applications received by June 1st, 2023. The search committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and plans to invite 3-5 candidates as finalists for the position for 2-3 days from August 28th-September 18th, 2023.
Please send any questions to [email protected] with the subject: Director of Choruses Search.
