Assistant Professor of Choral Conducting

University of Arkansas • Fayetteville, NC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Music in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Choral Conducting who will serve as Director of Choral Activities to start in August 2027. This is a standard nine-month faculty appointment. The ideal candidate should possess exceptional musicianship, effective rehearsal and leadership skills, a dynamic and creative vision for the department’s choral program, a strong record of successful teaching in higher education, and potential for significant scholarly and/or artistic work. This position will lead the university’s nationally recognized choral program fostering a collaborative environment that promotes artistic excellence and supports the development of student musicians. The successful candidate will program engaging and educationally appropriate repertoire including both traditional and contemporary compositions, cultivating performances that enrich the university and broader community. Effective communication, collegiality, and a cooperative spirit are essential. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to student success through effective teaching, mentorship, and the recruitment of talented musicians at regional and national levels. The ideal candidate will also build and sustain partnerships with public schools, community organizations, and professional musicians to strengthen recruitment, engagement, and the visibility of the choral program. In addition to conducting, the successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses, including those at the doctoral level. Responsibilities may include providing individual instruction, leading classes, and supervising dissertations and recitals as appropriate. Teaching assignments will include conducting choral ensembles, teaching undergraduate and graduate conducting, choral literature with other possibilities determined in accordance with the candidate’s expertise and scholarly/creative interests. Additional responsibilities include participation in departmental service, curriculum development, and scholarly or creative activity consistent with rank and university expectations. This is an in-person position. Most university classes are offered face-to-face, and extensive in-person engagement in such activities as office hours, student advising, and departmental, college, and university committee meetings is essential to advancing student success and departmental effectiveness. Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

Requirements

• Terminal degree in Choral Conducting, Choral Music Education or a closely related field from an accredited institution of higher education conferred by the date of initial appointment
• Demonstrated experience conducting and leading collegiate choral ensembles
• Evidence of, or a demonstrated potential for, an active research agenda and/or creative activity relevant to choral conducting (e.g., performances, recordings, publications, compositions, arrangements, etc.)
• Proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated ability to recruit for and build a choral program
• Demonstrated ability to conduct a wide range of choral repertoire, genres, and ensemble settings
• At least two (2) years of experience teaching at the collegiate level

Responsibilities

• Conducting choral ensembles
• Teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, including those at the doctoral level
• Providing individual instruction
• Leading classes
• Supervising dissertations and recitals
• Teaching undergraduate and graduate conducting
• Teaching choral literature
• Participation in departmental service
• Curriculum development
• Scholarly or creative activity consistent with rank and university expectations
• Programming engaging and educationally appropriate repertoire
• Recruiting talented musicians at regional and national levels
• Building and sustaining partnerships with public schools, community organizations, and professional musicians

Benefits

• University contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance
• Tuition waivers for employees and their families
• 12 official holidays
• Immediate leave accrual
• Choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level