Job Description / Duties

The University of Chicago Department of Music is currently accepting applications for the position of Lecturer and Director of Vocal Studies at the University of Chicago, for the 2021-2022 academic year. This position is part of a robust co-curricular performance program at the University of Chicago, which involves over 750 undergraduate, graduate, and community musicians in eighteen different performance ensembles and programs which present over 100 concerts each year.

The Lecturer and Director of Vocal Studies will work with the Director of Performance Programs and the Director of Choral Activities to provide both individual and group instruction plus appropriate resources and opportunities for vocalists at the University of Chicago, with the goal of developing students’ technical and musical abilities across a spectrum of experience and ability. The Director of Vocal Studies will be expected to coach singers who participate in the Department of Music Choral Program and other Performance Ensembles; to work with individual singers who demonstrate interest and ability for solo performance; and to be available for occasional coaching of a cappella groups and other campus constituencies that would benefit from technical and musical instruction his/her expertise. Components of the Vocal Studies position include:

• offering a sequence of short vocal technique workshops, designed for choral and solo singers who have not had prior vocal training, each quarter (in a strategic curriculum of 5-6 sessions per quarter, plus occasional individual tutorials for choir participants)

• leading occasional sectional rehearsals or workshops on basic vocal technique and/or diction for the various choirs and performance ensembles, as requested by the ensemble directors (estimated 1-2 sessions per quarter)

• scheduling periodic vocal master classes, led by the Director or a guest artist, for solo singers who are preparing solo repertoire (estimated 1-2 sessions per quarter)

• arranging one Vocal Showcase concert per academic quarter, usually on the Department’s regular Tea Time Concert Series (estimated 1 per quarter); coach individual singers in preparation for their performances on these showcase concerts

• advising singers on planning and scheduling senior recitals and other performances, including Departmental outreach activities

• being available for private teaching in voice as needed and/or desired

The Director of Vocal Studies is expected to support to the goals of the Department of Music Performance Program, which include: promoting the technical abilities and musical understanding of a wide range of students, to the highest degree possible; fostering a sense of community and a spirit of camaraderie within the Performance Program as a whole; nurturing each student’s lifelong commitment to the musical arts, whether as participant, listener, and/or supporter. The Director of Vocal Studies will be expected to plan and carry out the components of the program outlined above within budget limits, as specified. The Director will also be expected to collaborate with other members of the Department of Music Performance Program, and to contribute to long-range planning of the vocal program on campus as appropriate.

The position is estimated to involve approximately 5 to 6 hours per week of student contact during three 9-week academic quarters (October through June). Private teaching falls outside of this estimated time commitment and Departmental salary, and would be arranged at the discretion of the successful candidate.

Qualifications / Required Skills

Qualifications for the position include:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Masters degree or above preferred.

• Advance-level training and extensive experience as a vocal performer, both in solo and in choral settings, required.

• Substantive teaching experience at the college or university level, along with a commitment to working with a wide range of students to improve their individual technique, musical understanding, artistry, and ensemble skills, required.

• Broad knowledge of solo and choral literature and historically informed performance practice for the following periods and genres required: Baroque music; 18th- and 19th- century repertoire; 20th-century and contemporary music; Broadway, Jazz, and popular music; other specialties as applicable.

• Familiarity with languages generally encountered in the vocal and choral literature, plus advanced proficiency in at least one of those languages.

• Excellent organizational skills, good communication skills, fiscal responsibility, resourcefulness, creativity, and a willingness to work within an established program, all required.

• Basic keyboard skills required; advanced keyboard competency highly desirable.

This is a part-time Lecturer position without benefits. Regular presence on the Hyde Park campus of the University of Chicago is required during the Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters. The initial appointment will be for a term of one year, with reappointment possible following review.

Additional Information

Application Instructions

Applications must include the following, uploaded to http://apply.interfolio.com/87045.
• Cover letter

• CV

• contact information for at least 3 professional references

• list of repertoire performed in public

• and a minimum of one recent recording of a solo vocal performance ("artistic portfolio") shared as a PDF with links, or as Vimeo or YouTube links

Review of applications will begin on June 1, 2021 and applications will be accepted until the posting is closed or the position is filled.

Following the initial review, short-listed candidates will be asked to provide additional recordings, and to participate in a phone interview. Final auditions for the position will take place in person on the University of Chicago campus as soon as possible following the interview process.

EEO Statement

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages diverse perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange. The University’s Statements on Diversity are at https://provost.uchicago.edu/statements-diversity.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-1032 or email equalopportunity@uchicago.edu with their request.

Contact Information

ptgillette@uchicago.edu