New York Youth Symphony is hiring! Please see below for full-time and part-time opportunities.
Director of Development
The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) seeks a full-time experienced Director of Development to join one of the nation’s leading innovative music education organizations for aspiring young musicians.
Founded in 1963 to showcase the New York metropolitan area’s most gifted musicians, ages 12–22, NYYS’s activities have since grown and diversified to encompass programs in chamber music, composition, jazz, conducting, and musical theater songwriting with regular performances at world class venues including Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center, plus international touring. Through its award-winning commissioning program, “First Music,” NYYS has commissioned over 170 new works from young composers since 1984. Moreover, the careers of world-renowned musicians, conductors, and composers have been assisted by their early experiences with the New York Youth Symphony.
Approaching its 60th Anniversary, NYYS recognizes the need to hire a full-time, experienced Director of Development to assist the organization to not only sustain its current level of activities, but also to enable a more diverse group of students to participate in and benefit from NYYS’ various programs. Reporting to and in partnership with the Executive Director, the Director of Development will be responsible for all aspects of NYYS’s fundraising activities, such as planning and managing various fundraising campaigns including the annual fund, special events, capital campaigns; ensuring strong donor cultivation, recognition, and stewardship; researching new funding sources; serving as key ambassador in engaging existing and prospective donors, etc. In addition, the successful candidate will have a passion for music education, a self-initiating, professional temperament, and 5-10 years of experience in development work.
RESPONSIBILITIES
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Actively seek, cultivate, and solicit new funding sources form individuals, donors, foundations, corporations, and public sources with a focus on arts education, community outreach, and other relevant objectives;
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Craft compelling materials to communicate with current and prospective donors, including grant proposals and reports
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Orchestrate annual fundraising appeal, all fundraising events and explore new fundraising projects and engagement opportunities;
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Oversee and maintain database systems and processes essential to fundraising activities including research, cultivation, stewardship, record keeping, reporting, and acknowledgements;
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Coordinate with development staff and consultants for the 60th anniversary campaign.
REQUIREMENTS
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Five (5) or more years experience in the nonprofit fundraising world or related positions;
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Excellent written and oral communication skills;
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Experience with CRM databases;
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Preferred qualities: A positive attitude, creative thinker, highly organized with meticulous attention to detail; knowledge of music is desirable but not required.
Salary: Commensurate with experience; includes full benefit package.
To Apply: Send a cover letter and resume to jobs@nyys.org
NYYS Jazz Director
NYYS welcomes applications for the Director of the NYYS Jazz, its 17-member brass-wind-and-percussion ensemble modeled on the big bands of the 1930’s and 40’s. It is one of the seven tuition-free programs offered by the New York Youth Symphony. NYYS Jazz, previously known as Jazz Band Classic, started in 2002 with a mission to expose students to the original orchestrations and styles of bands led by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, and Benny Goodman, among others, as well as contemporary sounds which define the genre for the current generation. Andy Clausen has been the director of the program since 2016, and previous directors include Ryan Keberle and Matt Holman.
Program Description
Participation in the band is open by competitive audition each fall. Open to students between the ages of 12-22, the band is drawn from the metropolitan area’s public and private schools and colleges. (The average age in recent years has been 18). Rehearsing weekly from October-May in NYC, band members prepare and perform at renowned venues, including Dizzy’s Club, The Times Center, Birdland Jazz Club and the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Additional run-out performances take place in smaller venues throughout the city. As with the New York Youth Symphony’s other programs, band members learn about the music’s history, develop their technical and interpersonal skills, and explore career direction.
Enhancements
Additional projects have been developed to enrich the program, including the annual commissioning of three young American jazz composers, masterclass clinics led by the most illustrious professionals in jazz, and performances with guest artists, including recent guests Wycliffe Gordon, Maria Schneider, Melissa Aldana, Marcus Printup, Arturo O’Farrill, Jon Faddis, Sarah Elizabeth Charles, and many others. NYYS Jazz also participates in community outreach through partnerships with the Harmony Program and Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Fellowships are awarded to NYYS students from underrepresented communities to support them on their musical pathway, which come with professional mentors and a financial stipend.
Director Position
The director of NYYS Jazz oversees general artistic objectives, including concert programming, recruitment, audition and selection process of participants, rehearsals and performances, and program development (including the identification and recruitment of soloists, masterclass clinicians, etc). Additionally, the director is responsible for interacting with Trustees, staff, parents, teachers, music professionals, donors, and the general public. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the director to ensure that the artistic quality of the group coincides with the consistently high standards and mission of the New York Youth Symphony. The director supervises the band manager and reports to the executive director.
The successful candidate has significant musical and professional maturity and is a strong musical leader and educator. They must have a thorough knowledge of big band history and tradition, especially the music of the Swing Era, and a commitment to passing them both on to the next generation.
This is a salaried, part-time position of approximately 20-30 hours per month. The director must be present at Sunday evening rehearsals, held at the NYYS offices in midtown Manhattan. Rehearsals run 5:00-8:00pm between October and May. Non-performance months are used for planning and recruitment. Performances are scheduled in conjunction with the director’s schedule, but are generally held on Mondays in December, March, and May.
Selection Process: Applications are due October 15, 2022 following which selected candidates will be invited for interviews on December 1, 2022. Finalists will be invited to live auditions with the NYYS Jazz band on February 12, 2023.
Application Process: Please submit an application including a cover letter, resume, links to performances, and up to 3 letters of recommendation. Merge all materials into 1 pdf and upload to dropbox here. Video links should be of the candidate leading a jazz ensemble.
NYYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates from diverse and historically underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply.
