Head of Vocal Arts

The Guildhall School seeks to appoint a Head of Vocal Arts to lead our Vocal Arts Department. This newly-defined department brings the areas of Vocal Studies and Opera Studies together under one umbrella for the first time, enabling greater integration of our existing activity and the possibility of introducing new strands to our Vocal Arts offer. The new head will lead faculty, students, the curriculum and performance programme, and will line manage the Opera and Vocal teams including the Head of Opera and Deputy Head of Vocal Studies, working in close collaboration with them to oversee the Opera and Vocal Studies areas.
The ideal candidate will be an educator and leader with vocal/musical expertise and experience as a practitioner and/or artistic administrator (e.g. as coach, performer, repetiteur, arts administrator, teacher, or higher education leader) at the highest professional levels in the Vocal Arts, particularly in the fields of Western classical vocal music and opera. They will also demonstrate the capacity and willingness to embrace broader cultural influences, contemporary trends and new directions for the future of Vocal performance. They will bring creative energy and vision, dedication to promoting performer health and wellbeing, and a commitment to driving efforts towards equity, diversity and inclusion in our Vocal Arts community and curriculum. They will have the ability to connect the School with diverse musical networks at local, national and international levels and will possess the high level of management skill necessary to oversee a major department. They should also wish to contribute collaboratively to the creative direction of Guildhall's wider Music Division.
The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is one of the world's leading conservatoires and drama schools, offering musicians, actors, and production arts practitioners an inspiring environment in which to develop as creative arts professionals. Situated in the City of London, Guildhall School is ranked number one in Arts, Drama & Music by the Complete University Guide 2023 , is one of the top ten performing arts institutions in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2023 , as well as the number one higher education institution in the Guardian University Guide music league table. We deliver world-class professional training in partnership with distinguished artists, companies and ensembles.
A global leader in creative and professional practice, we promote innovation, experiment and research, and are also one of the UK's leading providers of lifelong learning in the performing arts, offering inspiring training for children, young people, adult learners, and creative and business professionals.
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The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Monday, 18 March 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.
Rounds 1 and 2 interviews will take place 26-28 March or 2-5 April 2024.
Guildhall School welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. We are particularly keen to encourage interest from people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, Black, Asian, and other global majority backgrounds who are currently under-represented at Guildhall School. In recognising the positive value of diversity, we want to better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We are members of the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee to interview all disabled candidates who would like to be considered under this scheme and who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role. We support and provide adjustments for people with disabilities - if you have a disability and need help with the application process please contact us.
The Guildhall School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees, workers, and volunteers to share this commitment.