Assistant Professor of Teaching – Symphony Director

University of California, Irvine, Department of Music

Call for applications for Assistant Professor of Teaching – Symphony Director

The UC Irvine Music Department, located within the Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA), seeks a dynamic, community-engaged and innovative conductor who will lead and build the UCI Symphony, teach additional courses for our undergraduate curriculum, and work collaboratively with the senate faculty to advance our department’s mission of offering in-depth artistic training alongside comprehensive education, within a school of the arts that also includes departments of Art, Dance and Drama, at a leading, top-tier public research university. The ideal candidate will have a passion for teaching, experience fostering diverse and inclusive ensembles, and a vision for developing a vibrant orchestra that draws from a wide range of populations, including music majors, non-music majors, and community members. They will also have strong skills and experience with public-facing activities such as cultivating campus and community partnerships and coordinating with development efforts. The ideal candidate will also be able to teach additional courses that contribute to our undergraduate curriculum, such as Conducting, Orchestration, Composition, Applied Performance Lessons, Musicianship or other topics relevant to the candidate’s areas of expertise.

This is a position with opportunity for security of employment in the Professor of Teaching (PoT) series. UC Irvine faculty in the PoT series are Academic Senate members who devote the majority of their effort to teaching. They also play an important role in the research/creative activity and the service mission of the University. The expected course load for this position is three courses per year for directing the UCI Symphony and three additional courses per year. All senate faculty also participate in regular meetings, recruitment and auditions, and other forms of department and university service.

Appointment, merit, and promotion in the Professor of Teaching series requires, in addition to excellence in teaching and service, that the candidate makes outstanding and externally recognized contributions in research/creative activity in pedagogy and/or the discipline.

Required qualifications:

• Master’s degree in orchestral conducting or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• Demonstrated success in conducting and working with student ensembles of varying skill levels, including prior university-level teaching experience
• The ability to design and teach courses in one or more secondary areas of expertise that contribute to the department’s undergraduate curriculum
• Demonstrated record of serving inclusive excellence in teaching, mentoring and performance in alignment with UCI’s ranking as a top-tier public research university serving first generation students and as a Hispanic Serving Institution, Minority Serving Institution and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution
• Ability to recruit and mentor students from diverse backgrounds, including both music and non-music majors
• Strong leadership skills, including the ability to inspire and motivate students
• Strong communication and organizational skills, including the ability to coordinate effectively on complex planning and events with staff and faculty colleagues across the school, such as production, marketing, and development
• A creative and flexible approach to programming and teaching, with an enthusiasm for exploring new repertoire and pedagogical methods
• Experience researching and implementing new pedagogical approaches and formats, and an ability to contribute effectively to curricular innovation
• Experience mentoring and guiding students in professional development, including both conventional music careers and newly emerging professional pathways
• A commitment to building community and campus partnerships that serve students’ learning and career preparedness

Preferred qualifications:

• Doctoral degree in orchestral conducting or a related field
• Significant prior teaching experience at the university level as a symphony conductor, including proven success recruiting and mentoring both music and non-music majors
• A track record of success in building creative partnerships with local and regional organizations
• Experience working across a wide range of professional contexts and repertoires, including commercial film and media industries as well as conventional symphonic orchestra repertoires

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online at

https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09397

Completed applications will consist of a cover letter; a curriculum vitae; a sample course syllabus for a Symphony Orchestra ensemble course; a second sample syllabus for a course on another topic; a statement outlining past and/or potential contributions toward inclusive excellence; and contact information for three references. Please do not send reference letters, which will be requested only for finalists. Please do not send materials via mail; the application process is entirely online.

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