Artistic Director

The Holland Chorale, a premier auditioned choral ensemble based in Holland, Michigan, invites applications for the position of Artistic Director with interviews beginning in mid-February. The annual employment contract will begin July 1, 2025.

Job Brief

The Holland Chorale is seeking a passionate, dedicated and accomplished Artistic Director and Conductor.  The ideal candidate has a high-level musical education combined with a deep knowledge of choral repertoire, performance practices, and excellent conducting skills. The successful Artistic Director will recruit, inspire and enable singers to perform at their best, fostering a sense of community and commitment within the group.

Overview of Holland Chorale

The Holland Chorale has served Holland and the Greater West Michigan community for 65 years. Under the leadership of founder Calvin Langejans, and subsequent artistic directors Gary Bogle, Ryan Kelly, Meredith Bowen, and Dr. Patrick Coyle, the Chorale has persisted in its pursuit of excellence in choral music and promotion of the arts. During its lifespan, our community has supported us through patronage of our concert series, purchase of our recordings, and underwriting of our projects. 

With approximately 60 active singers comprising a diverse span of musical experience, the Chorale is a powerful advocate for choral excellence. The building of lifelong choral singing through education is a major component of the Chorale’s mission. Members of the Chorale are comprised of choral and instrumental music educators, musical theatre and opera performers, and gifted amateur singers. Our choral experience ranges from memorable performances in Carnegie Hall in 2011 and a European tour in 2000, to local performances and highly acclaimed performances at ACDA and MENC conferences. Holland Chorale staff consists of the Artistic Director, Operations Manager, Vocal Coach and Principal Accompanist. 

Essential Job Functions

• Artistic and Organizational Leader: Present a clear artistic vision. Determine with the Board of Directors the strategic direction for the organization. Communicate long- and short-term goals. Plan the full concert, educational and outreach season. Recruit and audition new members. Contract and prepare guest instrumentalists. Assign and coach soloists/ensembles. Engage guest artists within budget constraints. Chair the Artistic Committee and select music with input from the Committee members. Schedule, plan, and conduct Holland Chorale’s rehearsals and performances.
• West Michigan Children’s Choir (WMCC): We have very recently brought the WMCC under the umbrella of the Chorale. The Artistic Director will collaborate with the Board and the WMCC Artistic Director to help guide the process of determining the new relationship with this group.
• Community & Organizational Ambassador: Serve as the “face of the organization” to the community of the Holland area and beyond. Be the primary organizational spokesperson. Further the recognition and brand of the Chorale on local and regional levels. 
• Support and Collaboration: Collaborate in funding efforts in coordination with the Development Committee and Board of Directors. Promote the Chorale and its activities. Work collaboratively, professionally and collegially with staff and Board. Support grant and funding proposals, informing from an artistic perspective.
• Performing Artist: Encourage the joy of performing and ensure Chorale members have a commitment to responsibilities and schedule. Build performing skills and a commitment to artistic excellence. Conduct in a skilled, expressive, and confident manner. Coordinate and execute performance collaborations, pursuing partnerships with other local and national performing artists. Plan original commissions and arrangements.  Communicate effectively with singers, with a consistently positive approach. Engage in professional growth and stay current with the latest trends and developments in choral music.
• Innovative Programmer: Create the annual season program to present relevant, creative and appealing performances. Programming includes concerts, community engagement and education programs, and collaborative initiatives. Ensure professional appearance of the Chorale by setting (with Uniform Coordinator) appropriate dress and personal appearance standards. 
• Artistic and Administrative Staff Manager: Within the constraints of budget, recruit and oversee as appropriate the Principal Accompanist, Vocal Coach and guest artists. Build an effective artistic team and ensure communication among musical staff. Follow and respect all organizational policies and guidelines.
• Financial: Provide the artistic portion of the budget and participate in annual budgeting process. Negotiate or oversee artistic contracts with outside performing arts organizations in coordination with the Treasurer and Operations Manager.
• Reports to Board of Directors: Communicate effectively with Board of Directors; provide monthly status reports on artistic activities. Attend and contribute to monthly board meetings and other occasional ad hoc meetings. Collaborate on administrative tasks such as setting committee agendas, budgeting, scheduling, and copyright adherence. Help to identify potential board members and partners/donors. 

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Choral Studies or relevant field plus 2-3 years of choral conducting experience, or bachelor’s degree plus at least 5 years of choral directing experience. Doctoral degree is a plus.
• Proven experience as an Artistic Director or similar role with a track record of positivity and motivational success.
• Excellent organizational and leadership abilities; outstanding conducting and rehearsal technique.
• History of creative concert and season planning, resulting in successful multi-generational audience development.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Thorough understanding of music theory and healthy vocal technique.

Personal Qualities

• Passionate about choral music and inspiring others to sing, creating a culture of joy through performance.
• Patient, positive and highly focused. 
• Able to produce the highest level of musical quality, performance, and singing as is possible.
• Shared vision for progressively developing an audience-focus (as opposed to member-focus), looking to increase the percentage of younger listeners at concerts.
• Build the Chorale’s musical reputation and focus its identity.
• Able to manage and motivate a diverse group of people, and singers of all ages.

Application Process 

Artistic Director candidates are asked to provide the following.

• Resume, including cover letter, and your statement of vision for the Holland Chorale.
• Relevant experience, including a list of repertoire of major works prepared and conducted by the candidate.
• Three professional references with contact information.
• Video recordings* 30 - 60 min each, of 1) a rehearsal, and 2) a performance conducted by the candidate.

*The two required video recordings will be submitted by providing a link in the PDF to the candidate’s choice of easily accessible site such as YouTube, Vimeo, or DropBox.

Applications and all relevant materials must be submitted no later than January 22nd, 2025.

The position is expected to be filled in early May. Please submit your application, titled with your name (i.e. FirstnameLastname), as a single PDF document with hyperlinks to the requested videos, to Holland Chorale at [email protected].