Director of Artistic Planning & Educational Programs

Brevard Music Center seeks a visionary and dynamic artistic leader to implement the teaching mission of the organization and the musical vision of the Artistic Director. The Director of Artistic Planning & Educational Programs oversees student recruitment, enrollment and financial aid, collaborates in selecting seasonal faculty, repertoire, and guest artists, sets the summer performance schedule, programs and manages the Parker Concert Hall series and BMC Presents, and hires and supervises seasonal campus life, production, and artistic operations staff.

Founded in 1936 and situated in western North Carolina, Brevard Music Center stands as one of this country's premier summer training programs and festivals. More than 700 gifted students, ranging from high school through post-collegiate, come to the Music Center every summer to study with a distinguished faculty of over 80 artists from the nation's leading orchestras, colleges, and conservatories. President and CEO Mark Weinstein and Artistic Director Keith Lockhart lead the Brevard Music Center's Institute and Festival. Current VP & Chief Artistic Officer Jason Posnock has been appointed BMC’s next President following Mark Weinstein’s retirement, effective October 1.   

BACKGROUND
For twelve weeks each summer, the next generation of musicians from around the globe gather in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to perform alongside a distinguished faculty from major symphonies, universities, and conservatories. From June through August, students participate in a rigorous program of instruction and performance, including orchestral ensembles, private lessons, chamber music, opera/voice, composition, classical guitar, and jazz. The new Parker Hall serves as the summer home of BMC's renowned piano studio, as well as numerous other programs. Featuring excellent acoustics and a seating capacity of 400, the hall's flexible seating system allows it to be transformed into a multi-purpose space that will also serve as a dramatic, natural setting for year-round performances, special events, lecture series, weddings, and business meetings that enrich residents’ lives and drive dollars to local businesses in the region. 

For decades the Brevard Music Center has inspired devotion not only among its students and faculty but also among its listeners and a vast corps of volunteers. Hundreds of people have purchased homes in western North Carolina expressly to be near the Brevard Music Center. The City of Brevard is a community of 7,700 with a vibrant arts scene located less than an hour from two other great arts meccas, Greenville to the south and Asheville to the north.

BMC has an annual operating budget of $6 million, with $3 million (50%) coming from ticket sales and tuition. BMC is led by a 25-member Board of Trustees and 18 full-time and part-time seasonal staff.

BASIC FUNCTION
Reporting to the President and CEO, the Director of Artistic Planning & Educational Programs will lead a department responsible for all planning and execution related to educational programs, concert performances, and student recruitment and enrollment. The new leader will be a mission-driven champion of the arts who embraces the mission, artistic vision, and core values of BMC. He/She/They will be responsible for continually evolving the Brevard Music Center's commitment to artistic excellence through building strategic, diverse, and inclusive relationships that serve to strengthen the Music Center’s position in the fields of performance and education. The candidate should be a results-oriented individual capable of leading a full-time professional staff and seasonal interns. 

The Director of Artistic Planning & Educational Programs is a key member of the senior leadership team. He/She/They will work collaboratively with the rest of the senior leadership team to identify opportunities and build strategies to grow programming capacity, seek new revenue streams, support development and fundraising efforts, increase patron concert attendance, and create increased visibility and awareness within the industry and throughout the region. The successful candidate will establish relationships with the CFO to create departmental financial budgets and forecasts designed to control costs and maximize revenues as they accomplish the organization's artistic mission.  

  • The Artistic Planning function will develop and lead the implementation and oversight of the year-round concert schedule, repertoire, guest artists and conductors, BMC Presents programming, and all performance-related details.
    The Educational Programs function is responsible for student recruitment and enrollment, the curriculum, program development, faculty management, and overall student experience.
  • In service of these goals the Director of Artistic Planning & Educational Programs should be an energetic, strategic, and creative thinker, possess a high level of emotional intelligence, and be deeply committed to training the next generation of participants in the art forms of classical, jazz, and popular music. The candidate should possess superior written and verbal skills and be able to write compellingly about all kinds of music. 

PRIORITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director of Artistic Planning & Educational Programs will be expected to achieve these goals and oversee these responsibilities: 

  • With Board of Trustees, President, and Artistic Director, collaborate in establishing BMC’s strategic and artistic goals. 
  • Oversee recruitment, admission, and enrollment of approximately 700 students each year. Determine recruitment imperatives and methods to achieve tuition revenue goals, and to control expenses as budgeted. Determine student financial aid process, method and scale. Approve scholarship awards as proposed by Director of Admissions. 
  • Hire, train, and supervise Program Director, Director of Admissions & Student Services, Artistic Coordinator, and Director of Production. With Artistic Director, supervise Director of Opera. 
  • Source, screen, recommend hiring, and supervise approximately 80+ artist faculty members each year, in collaboration with Artistic Director. 
  • Hire and oversee seasonal positions including but not limited to Campus Life staff, artistic operations staff, student services staff, library staff, and piano technicians. 
  • Collaborate closely with Artistic Director and others to recommend season repertoire, set schedule of performances, and select guest artists to be engaged. 
  • Negotiate guest artist contract terms and compensation. Interact with artist managers and agents. 
  • Oversee and manage budget for Instruction & Performance department to ensure that the program costs are allocated appropriately and used according to plan. Work with the financial management team to conduct financial analyses and review expenses to confirm appropriate usage of funds.
  • Program and manage all aspects of Parker Concert Hall series (Oct-May) including selection of performance dates and artists, contract negotiations, and contract fulfillment.
  • Create and maintain institutional partnerships with for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, for purposes of student recruitment, artistic collaboration, media relations, and industry-wide publicity.
  • Determine policies for students and faculty. Create, update, and maintain student/faculty handbooks. 
  • Maintain BMC’s archive of audio/video recordings. Determine imperatives for future media creation/use.
  • Attend departmental, committee, staff, and Board of Trustee meetings to report on activities and results, and participate in projects. Participate as staff liaison to the Education Committee. Serve on other committees as assigned. Prepare and present written reports and information as needed. 
  • Perform a variety of other duties as needed, either independently or in collaboration with others.  

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

  • A mission-driven individual with a belief in, and commitment to, Brevard Music Center's mission, artistic vision, and values.
  • A committed educator with a passion for creating transformational experiences for the next generation of arts participants.
  • A good listener and strategist; comfortable receiving input from many sources, and able to analyze and formulate disparate information into sound, well organized plans.
  • A flexible and creative individual who can find alternative ways to reach objectives when barriers arise; a skilled negotiator.
  • A team builder with strong skills in management and leadership; one who understands the subtleties of motivating and directing a diverse group of personalities with different work styles.
  • A self-starter who can juggle many projects simultaneously, setting clear priorities and schedules in collaboration with the needs of other departments.
  • A project manager who can handle multitasking required in a summer music festival.
  • Emotionally mature with a good sense of humor and the flexibility and sensitivity to work with diverse personalities and situations.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will have the following:

  • A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience is required. A master’s or doctoral degree is preferred. Ten or more years of experience working in the field of performing arts and five or more years of management experience are required.
  • Broad acquaintance with the standard repertoire of orchestral and chamber music, and ability to produce a concert. Intimate understanding of the culture of musical performance, machinery of a symphony orchestra and opera, and the instruction of aspiring musicians.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage people, plan and coordinate events comparable in complexity to festival performance and programming.
  • Demonstrated experience with successfully managing financial budgets and forecasts with focus on adding value to the program through cost-benefit analysis.  
  • Planning, analysis, and problem-solving skills to create policies and plans, and to troubleshoot issues during the season.
  • Strong organizational, leadership, communication, and management skills.
  • The ability to translate strategic thinking into action with a strong understanding of technology. 
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to write compellingly about classical music and the arts. Effective presenter internally and externally to peers and subordinates as well as patrons, donors, and community, business, and government leaders.
  • The ability to work independently and as part of a high-performing cross-functional team.
  • The ability to organize and prioritize projects, meet deadlines, and sustain productivity.
  • Talent to lead by creating a positive day-to-day work environment for the staff that inspires open communication, teamwork, and a culture of respect.

The position offers excellent benefits including 401k, team bonus, ample vacation time, etc. 

Review of applications will begin on June 15, 2023, and continue until the position is filled.

Questions can be directed to:
Keith Arbogast
CFO & Senior Director of Operations
Brevard Music Center
hr@brevardmusic.org

 

Please note: As Brevard prepares for the 2023 season, we continue to work with local and state health officials, along with campus and venue safety specialists, to develop and implement guidelines and protocols designed to keep our students, faculty, staff, and patrons safe. For the 2022 season, BMC's COVID-19 protocols included social distancing measures, indoor mask-wearing, and vaccination requirements. We will share updated policies for 2023 as more information becomes available from public health agencies.

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Brevard Music Center is a summer institute and festival. Over four hundred young musicians from around the country come each summer to study and perform in over 80 concerts ranging from orchestra to opera, chamber music and pops. As a matter of policy, the Brevard Music Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information (including family medical history) in the recruitment and admission of students, the recruitment and employment of its faculty and staff, or the operation of any of its programs and activities.