Press Release – Chorus Director Job Announcement
July 15, 2022
CONTACT: CALEB BAILEY, 860-443-2876, [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Click here for downloadable PDF version
ECSO and Chorus seeking Chorus Director – Job Announcement
Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra (ECSO) and Chorus announces a vacancy for the contractual position of Music Director/Conductor of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Chorus (ECSC). The start date for this position will be Fall 2022.
Highly qualified, experienced, choral conductors may apply. Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, rehearsal and concert videos, three letters of recommendations, and a sample choral program for a holiday concert with a chamber orchestra, and a regular season choral program with a chamber orchestra.
All application materials should be submitted via email, with the subject line “ECSC Director Search” to ECSO Executive Director, Caleb Bailey, [email protected]. All applications for this position must be submitted no later than Friday, September 9, 2022.
A search committee will evaluate the application materials, and the semifinalists will be notified and interviewed remotely after the application deadline. Finalists may be invited to audition with the ECSC in rehearsal format in person. The repertoire will be provided prior to the audition. The search committee will also interview the finalists. Compensation is commensurate with experience, with a salary range of $8,000 to $10,000 for this position. For any additional questions or information, please visit ectsymphony.com or email [email protected].
Job responsibilities and structure:
The ECSC Director is responsible for the artistic leadership and supervision of the Chorus, and shall perform the artistic planning, conducting, promotional and administrative duties described below.
a. prepare, rehearse and conduct all Eastern Connecticut Symphony Chorus
concerts and community appearances as well as prepare the Chorus for any
performances supporting the ECSO, on dates which shall be established by
Board in consultation with the ECSC Director;
b. maintain good, professional relations with the Board, Chorus members,
Executive Director, and all external ECSO constituents;
c. be the primary artistic spokesperson for ECSC, coordinating public statements
with the Executive Director;
d. participate in development, social, and other fundraising activities; and
e. attend Chorus Board meetings as an ex-officio member of the Board and report
activities and recommendations to the Board or its designated
Additionally, attend ECSO regular and annual Board meetings when schedule
allows.
About the ECSC and ECSO
The Eastern Connecticut Symphony Chorus (ECSC) was founded as a subsidiary of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra in 1967 with Connecticut College Choral Director James F. Armstrong directing. The ECSC is comprised of volunteer, auditioned singers of all ages. They perform with the ECSO annually in a subscription concert as well as independently in two choral repertoire concerts, a December holiday concert, and Palm Sunday concerts in Norwich. In June 2009, members of the Chorus sang in concerts in Venice and other European cities. Members of the Chorus were invited to sing with the Yale Symphony under the baton of ECSO Music Director and Conductor, Toshiyuki Shimada in May 2013 and again in 2015. The Chorus rehearses weekly in southeastern Connecticut on Wednesday evenings, 7pm – 9pm, from October through April.
In 1946, Victor Norman founded the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra (ECSO), which he conducted and guided for the next 35 years. In May 2008, a search committee selected 6 finalists from a field of 220 applicants from 5 continents, each of whom conducted a concert during the 2008-2009 season. Toshiyuki Shimada emerged as the winner and the fifth music director in the history of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra. Toshi celebrated his 10th anniversary with the ECSO in 2019.
Annually from early fall to late spring, the 75-plus member professional Symphony Orchestra presents six subscription concerts, most of which feature guest soloists. Most subscription concerts are performed at the historic Garde Arts Center on State Street in New London. The mission of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra is to “inspire, educate, and connect our communities through live orchestral music.”
The ECSO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving the eastern Connecticut region, including New London, Norwich, Waterford, Groton, Mystic, Old Lyme and East Lyme. Recent concerts in Norwich, Willimantic and Stonington reflect our renewed dedication to serving a broader area.
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