Composition (Open Rank), Bienen School of Music

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music

Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor of Composition

Description

The Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University invites applications for a full-time, tenure-eligible faculty appointment in Composition and Music Technology beginning September 1, 2025.

Rank and salary will be commensurate with experience and accomplishment.

The Bienen School offers highly selective, conservatory-level training within a top-ranked research university and features a dedicated faculty, unparalleled facilities, and proximity to the vibrant music community of Chicago.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include teaching individual composition lessons at the graduate and undergraduate levels; teaching courses in related topics, such as orchestration, analysis, and electroacoustic composition;

and developing specialized seminars and workshops focused on the applicant’s areas of expertise in conjunction with the needs of the Composition and Music Technology program.

Bienen composition faculty are expected to work collaboratively with colleagues in supervising graduate research projects, participating on dissertation committees, advising undergraduate composers, and implementing creative and performance activities sponsored by the Composition and Music Technology program and the Institute for New Music.

The program is housed within the Department of Music Studies and as such, collaboration extends to the department’s other three programs (Music Education, Music Theory and Cognition, and Musicology), as well as the Department of Music Performance.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must have a DMA or PhD in composition or equivalent professional experience and have a high-profile career as a composer or the potential for such.

Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate outstanding artistic achievement and intellectual interest in areas of research that complement the strengths of the school’s current faculty.

Salary

The expected base pay based on rank is as follows :

Assistant Professor : $ 70,000 -$85,000

Associate Professor : $85,000-$130,000

Professor : $135,000-$190,000

Northwestern University has provided a pay range representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for the position.

The pay offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors including (but not limited to) the experience and qualifications of the selected candidate;

years since terminal degree, training, and field or discipline; departmental budget availability; internal equity; and external market pay for comparable jobs.

Benefits

Northwestern is proud to provide competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts, and more. Visit to learn more.

Application

Screening begins November 11 , 2024, and continues until the position is filled. Candidates should submit :

• Letter of application
• Curriculum vitae
• Statement of teaching philosophy
• Three representative compositions (scores and audio / video recordings)
• Names and contact information of three references.

Apply online at link below or access the application process via the Bienen School's website at : .

Questions should be directed to Alex Mincek, Search Committee Chair at : . Please visit for information regarding the Bienen School of Music.

Please read ALL instructions and make preparations before proceeding to the application page :

• Applications will only be accepted via online submission (see link below).
• Please prepare all documents in advance as Adobe PDF files, and please be sure all information is entered correctly and accurately (especially names and email addresses), as there will be no opportunity for online revision after your application has been submitted.
• Please also prepare a list of names and email addresses for your external academic references; your references will be contacted directly by the online system and invited to upload their letters on your behalf.
• All required fields in the application form are marked with an asterisk and must be filled before clicking the Submit button.
• Be aware that incomplete applications cannot be saved.

Applications accepted here :

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations.

We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.