Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois
Wrightwood, California
Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
Posted: 07-Apr-25
Location: New York City, New York
Type: Full Time
Salary: $175,000
Salary Details:
Seeking Visionary Candidates to Lead a Transformative National Resource for New Music
New Music USA—a leading national nonprofit organization supporting the music of our time in all its forms—invites nominations and applications for the President & CEO role. This is a pivotal moment in the organization’s evolution, with opportunities to deepen national relevance, activate new networks, and champion the voices of a dynamic, diverse community of music creators and listeners.
ABOUT NEW MUSIC USA
New Music USA is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing new music in all its forms. Our mission is to nurture a vibrant and inclusive community for artists and listeners by supporting the creation, performance, and appreciation of new music throughout the United States. Through responsive grant-making; skill-building; mentorship and convenings for creators from all backgrounds; and platforms designed to connect music-makers with organizations and their audiences, New Music USA works to ensure a thriving, connected, and equitable ecosystem for the music of our time. New Music USA is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the music community our national organization serves. We believe that music can be a change agent for a more just and balanced world. We value belonging, empowerment, imagination, connectivity, and trust, and we embed these values in our organizational culture and across all our program activities.
Founded in 2011 through the merger of the American Music Center and Meet The Composer, New Music USA has spent over a decade building an inclusive and connected ecosystem for new music across genres—contemporary classical, jazz, experimental, film, and beyond.
With a national Board, a talented team of 11 staff, and an annual operating budget of approximately $3.2M, New Music USA provides over $1 million in annual grant funding, cultivates mentorship and learning programs, and partners with community-based organizations across the country. Grant recipients range from emerging individual artists to established organizations.
Programmatic highlights include:
- New Music Creator Fundand New Music Organization Fund – Flagship national grant programs supporting independent music creators and artist-serving organizations.
- Next Jazz Legacy(in partnership with Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice) – A nationally recognized mentorship and career acceleration program for women and non-binary jazz artists.
- Reel Change Film Fund– Supporting historically marginalized composers in film and visual media.
- Amplifying Voices– A groundbreaking initiative to foster collaboration and equity in orchestral music.
- New Music Inc.– Localized incubators supporting small-budget, artist-led collectives in cities nationwide.
- NewMusicBox– digital content that amplifies artist stories and critical dialogue, celebrating the people, ideas, and conversations shaping the new music landscape.
New Music USA’s work is grounded in values of imagination, connectivity, empowerment, belonging, and trust—with a commitment to continuous learning and equity-driven action.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The next President & CEO of New Music USA will lead the organization into a bold, strategic, and community-centered future. This leader will build upon a strong foundation of national programs and partnerships while expanding the organization’s reach, revenue, and relevance.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the President & CEO serves as chief strategist, fundraiser, communicator, and team leader. Key priorities include:
Strategic Leadership
- Execute the Board-approved Strategic Plan and continuously refine priorities in response to the evolving needs of music creators, communities, and funders.
- Partner with the Board and staff to clarify New Music USA’s identity, evaluate and communicate its impact, and champion its role as a national catalyst and trusted convener.
Fundraising & Resource Development
- Lead fundraising strategy and personally steward a portfolio of institutional and individual donors.
- Continue strong relationships with partners like the Mellon Foundation, SESAC, and Berklee College of Music while expanding support from new philanthropic sources.
- Explore creative revenue models that align with New Music USA’s mission and capacity.
Program Oversight & Evaluation
- Ensure continued excellence and equity in all programs and grantmaking processes.
- Work collaboratively with staff and grantees to assess impact, refine operations, and adapt programs for relevance and sustainability.
- Assess and identify ways to invest in the future of current programs, and work collaboratively to develop new ones.
Team Leadership & Culture Building
- Foster a values-aligned, collaborative organizational culture that supports staff development and well-being.
- Provide clear direction, inclusive decision-making, and strategic alignment across departments.
- Attract and retain talented professionals who reflect the communities served by New Music USA.
Board Engagement & Governance
- Serve as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors, ensuring strong governance, accountability, and generative conversation.
- Collaborate on Board development, orientation, and effective committee structures.
- Support the Board’s fundraising, ambassadorship, and strategic input.
Field & Public Representation
- Passionately engage as a visible, persuasive spokesperson for New Music USA across public, private, philanthropic, and creative sectors, including in New Music USA’s own activities.
- Build national partnerships across the music, media, philanthropic and academic ecosystems.
- Advocate for music creators, support equity in the arts and elevate underrepresented voices.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
While no candidate will meet every criterion, New Music USA seeks candidates who offer a majority of the following:
Leadership & Vision
- Demonstrated success leading a mission-driven organization and program with national scope.
- Experience aligning internal operations with external strategy.
- Comfort navigating complexity with decisiveness, diplomacy, and adaptability.
Fundraising & Resource Development
- Proven ability to raise significant philanthropic support from institutional and individual donors.
- Knowledge of arts and culture funding trends, and contacts within the foundation and private philanthropic communities, particularly in New York and Los Angeles.
Sector Knowledge & Appreciation
- Deep passion and knowledge of contemporary music across a range of genres.
- Experience working within the arts and culture sector or adjacent creative industries. Personal experience or training as a professional musician a plus.
- Strong networks and credibility with the music community.
- Understanding issues facing independent artists, historically under-represented creators, and the next generation of music leaders.
Operational Management
- Experience managing budgets of $2M+, overseeing diverse revenue streams and successfully leading small not-for-profit organizations.
- Competency in financial oversight, organizational policies, risk management, and performance evaluation.
Equity & Belonging
- Strong equity fluency and ability to lead inclusively across identity, geography, and genre lines.
- Commitment to centering historically marginalized voices and dismantling barriers to access.
Communication & External Affairs
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Public speaking presence and comfort with media, interviews, and thought leadership.
- Experience building organizational reputation and leading brand positioning work.
Relationship-Building & Collaboration
- Humble and confident leadership style with strong emotional intelligence.
- Ability to build trust, listen with curiosity, and convene diverse stakeholders.
- Proven experience recruiting, fostering, motivating and mentoring collaborative teams
New Music USA has retained H C Smith Ltd to manage this executive search.
Rebecca Smith * E.B. Smith * Judith Frankfurt