Music Director Search
Application Deadline: 15 February 2024
The Seraphim Singers, a chamber choir of 25-30 singers among Boston’s performing elite that explores spiritual themes and performs works illuminating critical topics and is known for innovative programming, including commissioned works, seeks a music director upon the retirement of its founding director in May 2024.
The successful candidate will preserve and build on the vision and mission of Seraphim by:
Developing interesting, socially relevant, meaningful, and varied programs that resonate with the singers and audiences.
Demonstrating a commitment to new music and composers with diverse backgrounds in a mix with classical repertoire.
Respecting the group’s origins in performing sacred music in sacred places and featuring the organ for accompanied works.
Additionally, the successful candidate will have a strong understanding of the voice, ensuring that the vocal production of the group is healthy and consistent with good vocal technique. The successful candidate’s rehearsal style will be efficient, respectful, and welcoming, demonstrating excellent score-reading, and skill working simultaneously with strong amateurs and emerging professionals.
Specific roles and responsibilities of the position:
Participate with the Seraphim Board of Directors in scheduling and planning the concert schedule, performance locations, and programming for the ensemble.
Schedule and direct rehearsals.
Record rehearsals to assist singers in their weekly practice.
Take the lead on commissioning new music and interacting with composers as has been past practice with this ensemble. For the 2024-25 season, no Commissions will be undertaken.
Interact with donors and work with the Board of Directors to grow the donor base.
Seek out grant opportunities and work with the Board of Directors to write and submit grant applications as appropriate.
Develop collaborations with other arts organizations as appropriate.
Recruit and audition singers for the ensemble, nurturing vocal health and skill development.
Work with the Board of Directors to grow audiences.
Attend monthly Board of Directors meetings via ZOOM.
Qualifications:
Required: A Minimum of a BM in Music with preference given to candidates with advanced studies/master’s degree in choral conducting.
Preferred: a candidate with previous, high-level choral experience of 3-5 years, who can effectively accompany a rehearsal on piano. The ensemble does provide a paid accompanist.
Job Characteristics:
Type: Part-time
Duration: Indefinite pending end-of-year review. During the 2024-2025 season finalist candidates will each program and conduct a concert.
Required Travel: None
Salary: $3,000.00/concert cycle, totaling to either $9,000 or $12,000 a year dependent upon whether there are 3 or 4 concerts.
Inquiries and Applications: To apply, please submit a cover letter and CV that includes education and experience, accomplishments, approach to choral programming, copies of past programs, links to recordings and examples of conducting, if any, and a list of three professional references.
Applications and questions can be sent to Ms. Eileen Sweeney at eileen.sweeney@bc.edu.
The application deadline is February 15, 2024.