Job Description / Duties

The School of Music in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University seeks a dynamic leader of outstanding reputation to serve as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Lyric Opera Theatre. This is a full-time, tenure-track or tenured appointment at the Associate or Full Professor level, depending on experience, beginning in August, 2015.

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 80,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, the largest comprehensive design and arts school in the nation at a research university, is a vibrant example of the of the New American University philosophy. With 4,700 students, more than 675 faculty and faculty associates, 135 degrees and a tradition of top-ranked programs, the Herberger Institute is built on a combination of disciplines unlike any other program in the nation. The institute includes the School of Art; School of Arts, Media + Engineering; The Design School; School of Film, Dance and Theatre; School of Music; and the ASU Art Museum. Through recognizing that design and the arts are critical resources for transforming society and solving complex problems, the Herberger Institute is committed to placing artists and designers at the center of public life. http://herbergerinstitute.asu.edu/.

Located in one of the most expansive metropolitan centers in the United States and situated in the Sonoran desert, the ASU School of Music supports a broad range of inquiry. Programs within the School of Music lead to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Music; Bachelor of Music (BM) in Music with concentrations in music performance, jazz studies, music theatre, music education, music theory and composition, music therapy as well as two minors in music studies and music performance; Master of Arts (MA) in Music with concentrations in ethnomusicology or music history and literature; and Master of Music (MM) in composition,
conducting, music education, music performance, performance pedagogy and music therapy. In addition, the school offers a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in composition, conducting and performance and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) with a concentration in music education. With one of the largest comprehensive music programs in a public research university in the United States, the ASU School of Music plays a prominent role within the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts and is located on the ASU Tempe campus.

Established in 1964, Lyric Opera Theatre (LOT) is a flagship program of the School of Music. LOT currently produces five fully staged and costumed opera and musical theatre productions per year, accompanied by student instrumentalists from the ASU orchestra and instrumental ensembles and often involving collaboration with choral ensembles. LOT has a significant team of stage directors, designers, coaches, and support staff, and also involves other faculty from the School of Music. The program includes collaborations with Arizona Opera through the Study/Cover Program and an annual co-production with Phoenix Theatre.


The Opera/Music Theatre Program is committed to preparing outstanding operatic and musical theatre performers, conductors, and music directors. The program serves approximately 100 graduate and undergraduate opera/music theatre majors, voice students, and multi-disciplinary students from the School of Film, Dance and Theatre. The program is distinctive, combining training in both opera and musical theatre through its comprehensive series of classes and its additional small-scale productions of an opera scenes program and two musical theatre showcases per year. The quality and scope of our programs are demonstrated by the success of our alumni who are performing in major opera houses around the world, on Broadway, in national touring companies, in regional theatre, and teaching in university programs throughout the United States.

The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to direct and expand a program of national and international prominence; will demonstrate artistic excellence, both in their own work and in the training of emerging artists; will serve as a teacher and mentor for aspiring opera/music theatre conductors at the graduate level; and will exhibit outstanding leadership that includes consultation with LOT staff and faculty colleagues and collaboration with the larger university community and regional professional arts organizations. Further responsibilities will include recruiting high-quality students regionally, nationally and internationally, mentoring and assisting students in developing their professional goals, and working effectively with the administration in service of the mission of the ASU School of Music. Other duties may include teaching opera repertoire, coaching, seminars in conducting in conjunction with the instrumental conducting faculty, and other areas, depending upon the candidate’s interests and experience.

Qualifications / Required Skills

Required Qualifications:
•Demonstrated excellence in opera and musical theatre conducting;
•Strong national and/or international conducting career;
•Doctoral degree in music or commensurate professional experience.

Desired Qualifications: Candidates should provide evidence of demonstrated ability in one or more of these areas:
•administration of an opera or musical theatre program or company;
•vocal coaching, including outstanding keyboard skills;
•curriculum and pedagogy in conducting and singing;
•work with emerging artists at the undergraduate and graduate levels;
•collegiate-level teaching;
•recruiting and retention of exceptional students.

Additional Information

Application Deadline: The application deadline is Dec. 20, 2014; if not filled, every two weeks thereafter until search is closed.

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions, which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses and certifications.

Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. See ASU's complete non-discrimination statement at https://asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html. See ASU’s Title IX policy at https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.

Contact Information

Applications by email are preferred. Submit all materials to: musicsearch@asu.edu.

Applications sent via mail must be addressed to:
Chair, School of Music Search Committee, Lyric Opera Theatre c/o Adrienne Goglia, Coordinator, School of Music
PO Box 870405
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-0405

Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you would like your materials returned.