Director, Piano Studies

Department

HUM Staff : Music SP Student Performance

About the Department

For over 90 years, the University of Chicago Department of Music has been a leader in the academic study as well as in the creation of serious music.

With leading scholars in the relevant fields, the Department offers graduate degrees in Composition, Ethnomusicology, Music History, and Music Theory, as well as an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in music.

Beyond the classroom, the Music Department hosts a thriving co-curricular Performance Program that encompasses four choirs, two orchestras, a wind ensemble, two jazz ensembles, a percussion ensemble, as well as a South Asian, a Middle East, Early Music, and Afro-Cuban ensemble, plus specialized programs in chamber music, piano, and vocal studies.

Open to all undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students at the University as well as faculty, staff, and community members, this wide-ranging Performance Program, which involves some 750+ musicians, offers an exceptional environment for artistic inspiration and musical growth.

For students in the Music Department, it serves as a meaningful complement to their academic studies in music.

Job Summary

Provide individual and / or small group instruction and coaching to student pianists accepted into the Piano Studies program.

Prepare repertoire suggestions, lesson plans, and supplemental activities designed to promote the development of each student’s musical skills and understanding.

Assess and document progress of those instructed. Schedule additional workshops, master classes, and performance opportunities for students as appropriate.

Arrange relevant activities to promote a sense of camaraderie within the Piano Studies program, and to help promote students’ further study and continued involvement in the musical arts.

This position is part-time, non-benefits eligible.

Responsibilities

• Plans and executes events, auditions, etc.
• Clearly outlines expectations for participation in the Piano Studies program, with two available tracks : regular participation, characterized by more casual involvement and no formal transcript recognition;

and advanced participation, with a specific set of requirements that must be fulfilled in order to earn per quarter transcript recognition for the student’s involvement in the program.

• Conducts auditions at the start of the academic year to evaluate the abilities of interested student musicians. Accepts an appropriate number of musicians into the formal program in Piano Studies.
• The average number of musicians in recent years has been 12-15 registered for transcript recognition, with close contact;

and 20-30 as regular participants, with less frequent contact.

• Recommends or assigns repertoire appropriate to the current skills and artistic preferences of the individual students, with the concurrent goal of promoting their technical skills and expanding their musical horizons.
• Sets up a schedule for individual coaching sessions, as well as clear procedures for students to sign up for such sessions.

Provides group coaching sessions or piano studio classes on a regular basis throughout the academic year. Arranges for additional coaches as needed, on an ad hoc basis, if student demand for coaching sessions exceeds the specified number of contact hours in the director’s job description.

Arranges a variety of recital opportunities and showcase concerts for Piano Studies student musicians, in conjunction with the regular offerings of the Department of Music Performance Program (e.

g., Tea Time Concert Series, special showcase concerts, community engagement performances at Montgomery Place, etc.). Schedules individual students and / or small groups to perform on concert dates as reserved.

Arranges a variety of workshops, master classes, and studio classes throughout the academic year, as student interest warrants.

Engages guest clinicians as needed, in accordance with Performance Program guidelines, on average two per quarter. Ensures that guest clinicians are briefed on the teaching philosophy of the Performance Program and on the anticipated performance level of participating students, in advance of the scheduled workshop or master class.

• Advises student performers on planning and scheduling individual recitals, supplemental performances, community engagement activities, and advanced musical study as requested.
• Meets with prospective students interested in pursuing musical opportunities in the College, as requested, which occurs very occasionally.
• Available to teach private lessons to individual student musicians as arranged and approved, as an additional supplemental role, outside the scope of principal employment as Director of Piano Studies.

The number of private piano students can be determined in accordance with the interests and the availability of the Director of Piano Studies.

• Tracks student attendance and engagement for those students who opt for transcript recognition; submits grades (pass / fail) to the Registrar at the end of each academic quarter via the Faculty Access portal, in accordance with specified deadlines.
• Follows all specified steps and format for working with the Music Department’s Director of Communications, Graphic Designer, and other Performance Program staff members in submitting concert information, program materials, personnel lists, and the like, in accordance with stated deadlines.
• Works within a modest operating budget available for the Piano Studies program. Follows all specified steps for working with the appropriate Performance Program staff member to request music purchases, instrument maintenance or repairs, musician refreshments and / or concert receptions, and the like.

Observes all specified procedures and required deadlines.

Follows all specified steps for reserving dates, times, and spaces for ensemble rehearsals, sectionals, and special activities with the appropriate Performance Program staff member.

Submits stage diagrams, equipment requests, and details of any additional requirements for concert performances, in accordance with the required deadlines.

Works with the Director of Performance Programs to develop joint performances, special projects, and other innovative activities for the Piano Studies program.

Contributes ideas and feedback for the ongoing development and improvement of the Piano Studies program and of the Performance Program as a whole.

• Assists teachers with all aspects of the academic program. Instructs and provides counseling to students as well as giving them feedback.
• Works with small groups of students to help them improve in the subject area and hold office hours to speak individually with students.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education :

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience :

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications :

Preferred Qualifications

Education :

Advanced degree in piano performance from an accredited conservatory.

Experience :

• Significant performance experience as a pianist, in a variety of settings, such as solo recitals, concerto performances, and / or collaborative performances.
• A minimum of three years experience teaching private piano lessons, preferably in a college or university setting.
• Leading piano studio classes and / or group coaching sessions.

Technical Skills or Knowledge :

• Broad knowledge of solo piano repertoire, from Baroque through contemporary.
• Knowledge of various pedagogical approaches for teaching private piano students.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Work successfully with students and various technical and musical levels.
• Strong organizational skills.

Working Conditions

• Make regular weekly commitment to on-campus teaching and coaching during the regular academic year, that consists of three nine-week quarters, October through May.
• 9 over 12 month position, paid over 12 months for 9 months of work.
• This is a part-time, non-benefits eligible position of approximately 15 hours per week.

Application Documents

• Resumé / CV, that includes list of major solo repertoire performed in public (required)
• Cover Letter, including your interest in this position (required)
• Links to a minimum of two recent, within the past 2 years, solo piano performances by the candidate (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Academic Affairs

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Frequency

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours

Benefits Eligible

Drug Test Required

Health Screen Required

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

Posting Statement

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For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.

Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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