Job Description / Duties

Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Opera
Stetson University School of Music

POSITION
The Stetson University School of Music invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Opera. This is a full-time, tenure-track appointment beginning in August 2024.

RESPONSIBILITIES
The successful candidate will oversee all facets of Stetson Opera and collaborate with faculty colleagues in the voice and orchestral areas to present operatic performances. This faculty member will direct productions each Fall and Spring, taking responsibility for the full spectrum of production details. This includes the rehearsal schedule, set design and construction, staging, musical preparation, lighting, hair and makeup, supertitles, marketing, communication, and managing both the front and back of the house. The director will also produce all printed and electronic materials, oversee external independent contractors, and formulate annual budgets in collaboration with the Dean. Duties will also include teaching applied voice lessons to undergraduate voice students, (majors, minors, and participants), and conducting weekly studio classes. Depending on the candidate's secondary expertise and the school's requirements, additional teaching responsibilities may include courses in diction, literature, or general education. The role demands a consistent and vibrant professional presence in both instruction and performance. Additional obligations encompass academic advising, recruitment, mentoring, aiding students in outlining professional aspirations beyond Stetson, and offering services to the broader university community. For more information on our expectations in teaching, scholarship/creative activity, our tenure policies, and our support for faculty development, please see the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs website: http://www.stetson.edu/administration/provost)

THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Stetson’s School of Music (http://www.stetson.edu/music) is an exclusively undergraduate program known for its excellence, depth, and long-standing reputation for the quality of its education. The school offers BM, BME, and BA degrees, with majors in performance, music education, music theory, composition, and outside-field areas. A faculty of 46 serves approximately 225 music majors and minors. The school has its own dean and holds full membership in the National Association of Schools of Music. Recent graduates of the School of Music are found on the stages of the world’s great opera houses (including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, and Covent Garden). They hold leadership positions in major symphony orchestras, serve as faculty members of the most prestigious colleges and universities nationwide, and they gain admission to distinguished graduate programs in the United States and Europe. The School of Music is proud of the consistent placement of its graduates as teachers in K-12 school music education programs in Florida and throughout the nation.

THE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1883, Stetson University (http://www.stetson.edu) is a private, selective university comprised of a rich array of liberal arts and professional academic programs. Collectively, Stetson’s faculty works with nearly 3,700 students in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. The University’s historic main campus, located in DeLand, enrolls more than 2,300 students in undergraduate programs in the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business Administration, and the School of Music. Stetson University College of Law, Florida’s first law school, moved from the main campus to Gulfport in 1954, and, with the addition of the Tampa Law Center, serves approximately 1,000 students working full-time or part-time toward J.D. or LL.M. degrees. Graduate programs offered include Business, Accounting, Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Creative Writing. Florida’s oldest private institution of higher learning, Stetson has regularly been ranked among the best regional universities in the Southeast and was the first private college in Florida to be granted a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Stetson University provides an inspiring education that engages students with rigorous academic and creative study grounded in liberal learning and promotes civic values of personal and social responsibility. Working closely with faculty and with one another, students cultivate abilities to explore issues deeply, think critically, reason empirically, speak persuasively, and connect ideas creatively. Firmly committed to inclusive excellence, our vibrant community of teacher-scholars nurtures the potential of individual students to lead lives of significance and prepares each to meet the challenges of shaping the future—locally, nationally, and globally.

THE COMMUNITY
DeLand is a picturesque residential community of 38,000 located 20 miles west of Daytona Beach and 35 miles northeast of Orlando. The area offers extensive cultural as well as recreational activities.

SALARY
Salary is competitive.

STARTING DATE
August 8, 2024

APPLICATION
Qualified candidates should submit via email to operasearch@stetson.edu a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a list of three references, and links to a recent singing performance video. The performance video should be from the past two years, include two pieces, and have a total duration of less than ten minutes. In the cover letter, candidates should address the stated qualifications and responsibilities and are encouraged to highlight skills and experiences that demonstrate a commitment to leadership in the education of undergraduate students of highly diverse backgrounds.

Additional materials will be requested at a later stage and may include video samples of directing work and voice teaching videos.

Initial screening of materials will begin on December 15, 2023, and will continue until the position is filled. Please direct inquiries and nominations to Dr. Chadley Ballantyne, Search Committee Chair, at cballantyne@stetson.edu

Stetson University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that affirms cultural diversity and inclusion as a core value of academic excellence at Stetson University. We are committed to achieving equal access in education, employment, and participation through the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds, and to meaningful academic and intellectual transformation in curriculum, research, and service. We are dedicated to actions and policies that foster a community in which individuals with various identities, cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints work together to create opportunities for engagement through rewarding and fulfilling careers and personal experiences in a culturally and racially diverse society and a globalized world. We strongly encourage members of historically under-represented groups and women to apply for employment. Stetson University is an EEO, ADA, ADEA, and GINA employer.

Qualifications / Required Skills

QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate will have a proven record of excellence and experience in opera production and college-level applied and classroom teaching. They should possess a comprehensive understanding necessary to select, prepare, and produce two opera productions each academic year. The candidate should have experience working with undergraduate voice students, demonstrating a commitment to top-tier voice teaching. Additionally, they should be versed in all facets of opera production, including but not limited to: set design and construction, staging, musical preparations, lighting, and marketing. The ideal candidate will exhibit strong organizational capabilities, excellent communication skills, and show clear promise for a continued professional career, with a proven track record in recruiting, retaining, and mentoring undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds. We are especially interested in candidates who have a strong commitment to all aspects of inclusivity in our learning-centered community. A completed master’s degree is required; a terminal degree is preferred.

Salary: Salary is competitive.

Contact Information

Please direct inquiries and nominations to Dr. Chadley Ballantyne, Search Committee Chair, at cballantyne@stetson.edu.

Employer Profile

We are exceptionally pleased that you are interested in applying your talents and passion to advance excellence in learning at Stetson University. Our university prides itself on teaching students to find their own voice and to value the importance of passion, justice, diversity, and leadership. Indeed, Stetson University's continued vibrant growth and constant innovation show the engagement and clear direction of its faculty, staff and administrative leadership. We invite you to find out more about the opportunities for you at Stetson, and to explore the ways in which your work can benefit from joining a community of excellent teachers, enthusiastic and productive scholars, and willing collaborators.

Elizabeth Skomp, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
Professor of World Languages and Cultures, Russian