Job Description: ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
The Position
The nation’s first SATB LGBTQ+ chorus is seeking a passionate and dynamic Artistic Director who will develop and carry out artistic programming, collaborations and concerts that honor the mission of the Chorale and continue its legacy of excellence. The Artistic Director will report to the President of the Board of Directors.
Time Commitment
The Chorale presents three concerts per season in December, March, and June. Rehearsals once per week on Tuesday evenings from 7pm-9:30pm, with two additional Sunday afternoon intensive rehearsals per concert period, and one added dress rehearsal the week of the concert. Rehearsals commence in September and conclude after the June concert. This schedule may be altered by mutual agreement of the Board of Directors and incoming Artistic Director.
About The Stonewall Chorale
Based in NYC, the Chorale's mission is to amplify LGBTQ+ voices through a diverse choral repertoire of classical and contemporary works. Over the span of its 48 seasons, the 80+ member Chorale has become an important cultural presence in NYC's performing arts, presenting three concerts a year in venues that include Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, Church of the Ascension, Riverside Church, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Hailed by ClassicFM as one of the “12 best LGBTQ+ classical music ensembles around the world,” the Chorale’s repertoire ranges from great classical works to contemporary pieces by cutting-edge composers like Ricky Ian Gordon, Eric Whitacre, Chris De Blasio, Meredith Monk, Gerald Busby, Ola Gjeilo and Tõnu Kõrvits.
Responsibilities:
1. Promote the Chorale’s focus on its mission
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Collaborate with the Board and Chorale members to foster a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment for our diverse membership, which includes gender- and identity-expansive individuals of various races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities. Champion these values in future recruitment efforts.
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Establish and advance an artistic vision for the Chorale that inspires the members, board, and audiences; welcomes new musical ideas; invites new audiences; advances the organization’s strategic goals while upholding its commitment to the greatest traditions of choral repertoire; and promotes the organization’s leadership in musical excellence.
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Network and cultivate partnerships with other arts organizations, music directors, and community groups to increase the visibility of the Chorale and to encourage collaboration in consultation with the Board of Directors.
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Recruit and audition new members for the chorale to ensure a vibrant and diverse chorale community with sufficient membership to preserve organizational sustainability and growth. Ensure the Chorale’s committed musicians enjoy a welcoming, respectful, and artistically challenging musical experience and that all voices are engaged in meaningful dialogue to build and sustain the organization’s inclusive and vibrant culture.
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Embrace and center diversity and inclusion as a critical element of community engagement, including singer and musician recruitment, audience development, staff, and Board engagement.
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​2. Design, coordinate, and direct Chorale programming
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Organize an annual performance schedule including three concerts, and additional one off or outreach concerts subject to chorale and conductor availability.
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Arrange a rehearsal schedule in collaboration with the Board at the beginning of each concert year.
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Conduct auditions at least once annually, and as needed throughout the season.
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Design, in collaboration with the repertoire committee, each concert program including theme development and integration of guest artists, ensembles, soloists and visual elements. This periodically includes works which address social issues which are important to our membership.
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Identify necessary non-member musicians, technicians, and other contractors.
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Collaborate with volunteer production team ensuring technical needs and production details.
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Audition, select, and coach soloists and small group ensembles.
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Manage artistic elements of periodic ad hoc performances as they may occur throughout the season.
3. Provide supervision for music-related staff and volunteers
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Identify, coach, and supervise the activities of Chorale section leaders, staff accompanist, and contract musicians.
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Communicate regularly with section leaders regarding attendance, membership communications, and other responsibilities as mutually agreed upon between AD and section leaders.
4. Facilitate the work of the Repertoire Committee
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Identify concert themes and collaborations that support the Chorale's mission.
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Select and purchase music; secure necessary licenses, performance rights, and arrangements.
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Ensure music is available and accessible to meet any specific accessibility needs within the membership (i.e. visual impairment, physical impairment, etc.) with the assistance of committee members before the first rehearsal of the season.
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Ensure learning files are available for concert repertoire.
5. Development and Finances
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Prepare annual programming budget in collaboration with the Board Treasurer.
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Collaborate with the Board on development and fundraising strategies and initiatives.
6. Communicate regularly with the Chorale Board and other Chorale leadership
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Attend Board meetings and provide a monthly report to the Board
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7. Participate in professional development
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Participate in professional organizations: American Choral Directors Association, GALA, Chorus America, etc.
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Maintain and update professional competence by attending workshops, classes, and conferences.
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Review new choral works and recordings; read professional journals.
Traits and Characteristics:
The Artistic Director will have a deep understanding of the power of choral music and a vision for leveraging this power to positively impact the community. A dynamic, visionary leader, the Artistic Director will honor the role of traditional classical music, advocate for new music, and inspire innovation in programming, including social themes and cultural diversity. This individual will have a passion for choral music, bringing their own musical excellence to build on The Stonewall Chorale’s strong foundation and to advance the chorus to even higher levels of vocal performance.
The Artistic Director will possess effective people skills and the ability to nurture new and existing relationships with the chorale, audience members, donors, and the community. A natural coach, mentor, facilitator, consensus builder, and motivational leader. An experienced team player and strategic thinker for whom the ownership of ideas is less important than the result of the collaborative effort, the Artistic Director will be an accessible, open, confident, and communicative professional who enjoys exploring ideas, including building community partnerships and engagement.
Key competencies include:
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Leadership and Diplomacy – The capacity to inspire others to unify around an outcome or goal and navigate sensitive and difficult issues with grace and respect.
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Personal Accountability and Teamwork – The awareness of the impact of personal actions and decisions, and the aptitude to collaborate with others to achieve objectives and outcomes.
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Time and Priority Management and Resiliency – The ability to identify and establish timeframes and priorities and to recover quickly from setbacks while still achieving goals.
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Demonstrated experience conducting a community-based Chorale with singers of various musical skills and experience.
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Experience with and interest in working with identity- and gender-expansive voice sections and techniques that support those voices.
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Commitment to the Chorale’s policies regarding anti-racism and inclusion among our membership. Evidence of demonstrable and specific action taken in advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and access in a similar environment.
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An ability to work within electronic mediums, including, but not limited to, word processing, e-mail, internet community platforms (currently Chorus Connection), and electronic music notation software.
Compensation:
$25,000-$32,000 per year commensurate with experience. This is an independent contractor role, and will not be eligible for employee benefits.
To apply:
Candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and work samples in form of videos demonstrating approximately 10 minutes of performance conducting a choir, and approximately 15 minutes of choral rehearsal via our search application link: https://forms.gle/wCHKWQbfJWYZw9wp8
Applications submitted via any other method may not be accepted or reviewed.
Our search committee will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and will begin scheduling interviews in the fall of 2025.