Job Description / Duties

The voice area in the Hayes School of Music is a vital resource to the
School and the community. We seek a dynamic stage director and
applied voice instructor who demonstrates a commitment to enriching our performance community with an appreciation and understanding of a broad range of operatic and musical styles, vocal literature, as well as pedagogy and performance practices. This includes the programming and teaching of diverse repertoire and that of historically underrepresented composers.

Responsibilities:
Opera Direction: Direct the Appalachian Opera Theatre and
Opera Workshop. Duties will include casting and directing one
fully-staged production with orchestra in collaboration with the
Appalachian Symphony Orchestra director and one scenes
performance with piano each year in alternating semesters.

Production Management: Manage aspects of production
including scheduling auditions, rehearsals, coordinating and
overseeing production elements (sets, costumes, venue
contracts, and lighting, hiring and collaborating with production
staff, and managing budgets).

Collaboration: Collaborate with the voice area, graduate
assistants, other music faculty members, and academic units to
promote interdisciplinary learning opportunities among the
students and the broader community. Work alongside the
Appalachian Symphony Orchestra Director to select a show
each year.

Applied Voice Instruction: Teach applied voice to
undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in the
Hayes School of Music. Prepare students for degree recitals,
roles in operatic and musical theatre productions, and additional
performance opportunities. Lead weekly studio class.

Recruitment: Collaborate with colleagues in outreach and
recruitment efforts within the state and across the region.

The Hayes School of Music maintains a closely-knit community of
engaged learners and performers (faculty, staff, and students), who
seek to provide a mutually supportive environment to nurture musicians pursuing professions in music education, performance, music therapy, and music industry studies at the undergraduate level and performance and music therapy at the masters level.

The Hayes School of Music is interested in candidates who have a
demonstrated commitment or the potential to provide leadership in
teaching, scholarly/creative activity, and service that builds an equitable and diverse academic environment. The successful candidate will be expected to participate fully in the responsibilities of faculty membership, including prospective student and ensemble auditions, student mentoring, curriculum development and assessment, service activities, meeting attendance, timely communications, advising, and recruitment.

In the Hayes School of Music, full-time tenure eligible or tenured faculty members are expected to teach 24 full-time equivalent hours (FTEs) per academic year. A faculty member may request up to 6 FTEs
annually for extensive scholarly or creative activity. Additional teaching and non-teaching duties will be assigned as needed in the voice area and Hayes School of Music.

Qualifications / Required Skills

Minimum Qualifications:
The candidate must hold a doctoral degree in vocal performance,
vocal pedagogy, or related field (DMA or DM). Candidates who are
ABD will be considered, and all degree requirements must be
completed by July 31, 2026.

The successful candidate will show evidence of experience in directing and managing opera/musical productions at the community, collegiate, or professional level. The candidate must also show evidence of at least two years experience of teaching applied voice in both classical and musical theatre styles of singing at the collegiate level, and evidence of accomplishment on stage as a professional singer and/or director.

Additional Areas of Interest:
The Hayes School of Music seeks candidates who possess experience with managing budgets, collaborating with production managers, overseeing set design and construction, with evidence of, or an innovative plan for, recruitment strategies.

Additional Information

For a complete application, please apply and submit all below- required documents electronically through Appalachian State University’s job board at the following link: https://appstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/53099

- Cover letter/letter of interest addressing the position requirements, qualifications, and experience
- Curriculum vitae
- A list of five (minimum) professional references including contact information (email and phone)
- A 1-2 page Vision Statement regarding the role of Opera and Musical Theatre in the Hayes School of Music, the University, and the local and regional community. Please address how you would grow and elevate the program.
- A PDF file with links to 15-minute video examples of each of the following (totaling no more than 45 minutes of content): solo voice performances, applied voice teaching, and opera productions and/or scenes programs within the past five years for which you were the stage director. Please do not send physical media or attach individual files for download, as the committee requires all video samples to be hosted on a media server for on-demand streaming (e.g.YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)

Contact Information

For questions about this posting, please contact Dr. Kellie Hill, search chair (motterka@appstate.edu).

Employer Profile

The Appalachian State University Hayes School of Music invites
applications for a tenure-track position, Assistant Professor of Voice
and Opera, with appointment starting fall 2026.

The Hayes School of Music is home to more than 420 students and 60
full‐time faculty members. It offers undergraduate degrees in music
education, music therapy, music industry studies, and music
performance, with concentrations in instrumental or vocal performance, music theory/composition, jazz, and sacred music. Graduate programs are offered in music therapy and music performance, with concentrations in instrumental or vocal performance, collaborative piano, music composition, and conducting. Supported by the Hayes Endowment for Musical Excellence, the school is part of Appalachian State University, an accredited member of the National Association of
Schools of Music.

Dedicated to preparing musicians for professional careers, the Hayes
School of Music cultivates performers, composers, educators,
therapists, conductors, scholars, and music industry professionals who will shape the future of musical leadership at the state, regional, and national levels. The school is committed to equipping graduates to thrive in a rapidly evolving musical landscape and in an inclusive,
innovative, and multicultural world.

The Erneston Music Library, located in the Broyhill Music Center,
supports the curriculum of both the Hayes School of Music and the
University. Alongside books, scores, and recordings, the Special
Collections Research Center in Belk Library houses an expanding
collection of rare books and manuscript materials related to classical
music. Highlights include the scores of conductor Hans Schwieger, the original manuscripts of composer Tui St. George Tucker, and the
Matanya Ophee Collection – one of the world’s largest collections of
19th‐century guitar music.