Procedure for Candidacy

PetersonBandar is assisting Brevard Music Center in this search, which will remain open until a candidate is appointed. For fullest consideration, please submit application materials and nominations by November 17, 2023. Applications should be submitted on PetersonBandar’s website: petersonbandar.com/brevard. 

All applications and nominations are welcome. Applicants should prepare, in two separate documents, a curriculum vitae or resume and a letter that addresses the position qualifications and other themes in the prospectus (found HERE). 

Inquiries may be directed to [email protected].

Brevard Music Center is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by law. BMC is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, and all applications from qualified individuals are encouraged.

Executive Summary

Brevard Music Center (BMC) is one of the United States’ most revered summer music festivals and summer training programs. Since its inception in 1936, BMC has cultivated an enviable track record of educational and artistic excellence. In continuation of that legacy, BMC is seeking a creative, collaborative, and energetic leader in the position of Director of Artistic Planning and Educational Programs. The Director will lead the department responsible for the planning and execution of all educational programs, concert performances, and student recruitment and enrollment. Reporting to President & CEO Jason Posnock and working closely with BMC’s leadership team and Artistic Director Keith Lockhart, the next Director will play a key role in maximizing the impact of BMC’s artistic and educational programming while ensuring a sustainable financial economic environment in which BMC will thrive.

Brevard Music Center stands as one of this country's premier summer training programs and festivals. More than 700 gifted students, ages 14-29, gather at BMC every summer to study with a distinguished faculty of over 80 artists from the nation's leading orchestras, colleges, and conservatories.

Under the artistic direction of acclaimed conductor and BMC alumnus Keith Lockhart – Conductor of the Boston Pops and formerly Chief Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in London and Music Director of the Utah Symphony – BMC presents 80 performances each season. Over the past eight decades, BMC has welcomed many of the world's most acclaimed musicians to perform with its student orchestras, including Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Conrad Tao, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Renée Fleming. Each summer, over 40,000 guests attend performances that take place at BMC’s stunning 1800-seat open air, lakeside auditorium.

This exceptional opportunity allows the Director to take advantage of exciting opportunities to advance the mission of a storied organization, work alongside a gifted leadership team, impact the lives of young musicians, and live in a beautiful and burgeoning region. The expected salary range for the position is $105,000 - $125,000, dependent on qualifications and experience. Additionally, BMC provides a competitive benefits package and relocation assistance.

Role of the Director of Artistic Planning & Educational Programs

Reporting to the President and CEO, the Director of Artistic Planning & Educational Programs will lead a department responsible for the planning and execution of all educational programs, concert performances, and student recruitment and enrollment. The Director will be a mission-driven champion of the arts who embraces BMC’s educational mission, artistic vision, and core values. Additionally, the Director will continually seek to advance artistic excellence through the identification and cultivation of strategic, diverse, and inclusive relationships that serve to strengthen BMC’s position in the fields of performance and education. The Director should be results-oriented and capable of leading and managing a full-time professional staff and seasonal interns. 

OPPORTUNITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Artistic Planning & Educational Programs is a key member of the senior leadership team, with whom the Director will collaborate to identify opportunities and develop strategies that expand programming capacity, generate increased revenue streams, support development and fundraising efforts, drive concert attendance, and expand visibility and awareness regionally and in the music industry. Additionally, the Director will work closely with the CFO to create departmental financial budgets and forecasts designed to control costs and maximize revenues while executing BMC’s artistic program. 

The position entails two key divisions of responsibility – artistic and educational.

• Artistic component – 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. 
• Educational component – lead student recruitment and enrollment, oversee curriculum and program development, hire and oversee faculty, and enrich the overall student experience. 

Within each arena, the Director will seek synergistic inter- and intra-departmental strategies while compassionately leading teams of dedicated staff members.

Living in Brevard, NC

Brevard, North Carolina, is a charming mountain town located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Known as the "Land of Waterfalls," Brevard is home to over 250 waterfalls, as well as 100,000 acres of public lands. The town is also a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Mountain biking enthusiasts will enjoy over 300 miles of singletrack, while hikers can visit pristine waterfalls and explore nearby state parks and national forests. And, the region’s temperate weather allows for year-round access to nature.

In addition to its natural beauty, Brevard also offers a vibrant cultural scene. The town is home to a number of art galleries, museums, and theaters. There is also a thriving music scene, with live music performances happening almost every night of the week. Notable restaurants and breweries (including the nationally recognized Oskar Blues) complement cultural and natural attractions. 

Brevard is often cited as a great place to live, work, and raise a family. The town has a strong sense of community, a low crime rate, and is known for its friendly and welcoming residents. And, the low cost of living makes Brevard attractive financially.

The town is located just two hours from two major metropolitan areas known for their beauty and cultural cache – Asheville, an area noted for its architectural treasures including the Biltmore Estate, and Greenville, a dynamic city that houses the headquarters for numerous international corporations.

Professional Qualifications and Personal Attributes

The Director should enter the position with the qualifications and background that allows for the ability to successfully manage complex artistic operations and work effectively in a small, collaborative team. 

Professional Qualifications

The Director will have broad experience and understanding of classical music programming with an eye toward educating BMC participants and strong leadership potential. Professional qualifications the Director will bring to the position include:

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience (required). Ten or more years of experience working in the field of performing arts and five or more years of management experience is preferred.
• Broad acquaintance with the standard repertoire of orchestral and chamber music and the ability to program and produce a concert. Intimate understanding of the culture of musical performance, machinery of a symphony orchestra and opera production, and the instruction of aspiring musicians is needed.
• Demonstrated ability to manage people, strategically develop courses of action, and coordinate events comparable in complexity to festival performance and programming. 
• Demonstrated experience with successfully managing financial budgets and forecasts with a 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. Be an 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.

Personal Attributes

To thrive in this role, the Director of Artistic Planning and Educational Programs should be an energetic, strategic, and creative thinker, possess a high level of emotional intelligence, and be deeply committed to developing the next generation in the art forms of classical, jazz, and popular music. The Director must possess superior written and verbal skills and be able to write and speak compellingly about all genres of music. 

Additionally, the Director must have the temperament to thrive in a team while working in the fast-paced and demanding environment of a summer music program.

Ideally, the Director is:

• Mission-driven with a belief in, and commitment to, BMC's mission, artistic vision, and values. 
• A committed educator with a passion for creating transformational experiences for the next generation of musical artists.
• Listener and strategist - someone comfortable receiving input from many sources and synthesizing that disparate information into sound, well-organized plans. 
• Flexible and creative and can devise alternative pathways to reaching objectives when barriers arise.
• Skilled at negotiating successful outcomes.
• A team-builder with strong skills in management and leadership - someone 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, sets clear priorities and schedules in collaboration with the needs of other areas. 
• 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.