Reports to: Executive Director and Artistic Directors
Type: Full-time, exempt, salaried
Salary & Benefits: $75,000-$85,000 annually based on experience, generous PTO, Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
Location: New York, NY – Hybrid work setting, including Brooklyn office space and on-site concert events at multiple venues
Hiring Timeline
Apply by April 15, 2024: Send a brief statement of interest and a resume to jobs@theknightsnyc.com. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis.
About The Knights
The Knights are a collective of adventurous musicians dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audiences and music. Driven by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and exploration, they inspire listeners with vibrant programs that encompass their roots in the classical tradition and passion for artistic discovery. The orchestra has toured and recorded with renowned soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Béla Fleck, Chris Thile, and Gil Shaham, and has appeared across the world’s most prestigious stages, including those at Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, Ravinia, The Kennedy Center, and the Vienna Musikverein.
The Knights evolved from late-night chamber music reading parties with friends at the home of violinist Colin Jacobsen and cellist Eric Jacobsen. The Jacobsen brothers, who are also founding members of the string quartet Brooklyn Rider, serve as Artistic Directors of The Knights, with Eric Jacobsen as conductor. Since incorporating in 2007, the orchestra has toured consistently across the United States and Europe.
Position Overview
The Director of Artistic Operations works in tandem with the Artistic Directors and Executive Director on high-level artistic planning and ensures implementation in an organized, efficient and professional manner. The Director of Artistic Operations will work especially closely with the Artistic Directors and serve as a support to them in all processes pertaining to artistic planning, goals and activities, including concerts, touring, recordings, educational activities, etc. The ideal candidate is passionate, creative, knowledgeable, fast-paced, and a self-starter with excellent artistic knowledge, exceptional communication skills, and a proven track-record of effective and successful management of multiple projects simultaneously.
Responsibilities
- Manage program and personnel planning, processes and deadlines, working with the Artistic Directors, Executive Director, and The Knights’ touring management, Opus 3 Artists
- Nurture deep relationships with agents, artists, publishers, composers, and artistic partners
- Travel with and be on-site with the orchestra for all performance projects
- Secure rehearsal venues, and track contracts and invoices
- Ascertain technical and artist amenities with venue and technical staff, prepare technical riders and advances, rent instruments, technical equipment, etc
- Oversee contracted librarian and Communications Coordinator in printing or renting orchestral parts, scan parts into digital library, secure bowings from string principals, and transfer bowings/markings into parts
- Supervise / implement stage set-up and rentals at rehearsals and performances; ensure technical rider compliance, help to solve any on-site issues and coordinate with venue staff on set-changes, lighting, amplification
- Hire videographers and sound engineers for recording projects as needed, and capture photos / informal audio recordings during rehearsals for archival reference or social media use
- • Book and schedule hotels, charter buses, rental cars, catering and flights for out-of-town performances, and determine final head-counts for all bookings
- Retrieve and process mail on a weekly basis
- Through consultation with Artistic Directors, prepare stage plots, orchestra reference recordings and other production details.
- Collaborate with Executive Director and Director of Development on recruiting and overseeing Arts Administration Intern(s)
- With Artistic Directors, create rehearsal schedules, calculate musician fees, create work offer documents and prepare financial reports and projections related to artistic projects for quarterly Board review.
- Oversee the timeline for musician hiring and orchestra seating for projects in coordination with Personnel Manager and Artistic Directors
- Oversee programming database and calendar of artistic activities
- In partnership with the Executive Director, communicate with contracted soloists, composers and arrangers regarding fees. Prepare and finalize memorandums of understanding and artist agreement contracts for guest artists, composers, and arrangers; and establish delivery deadlines for newly commissioned works.
- Process musician payroll through Quickbooks
- In partnership with the Executive Director and Artistic Directors, update The Knights’ Code of Practice as necessary
- Compile and prepare all printed program materials to share with Opus 3 & presenters, including program notes, program listing, musician roster, biographies, press photos, song text
- Work with Grants & Communications Coordinator on marketing assets that can be used to promote upcoming performances
- Coordinate with Artistic Directors and Artist Leader for Educational Programming on planning for educational /outreach activities
- Ascertain public announcement / ticketing dates for all performances, and relay information to administrative team for website updates, related email blasts
- Organize and manage the organization’s physical music library and corresponding online database and update music library policy document as necessary
- Advance the work of, and scheduling meetings for musician-led committees, including the Artistic Steering Committee, and the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee.
- Overseeing the annual Innovation Fund application & review processes
- Other duties as assigned
Our Ideal Candidate
Please apply if you have:
- Impeccable communication skills and the ability to work closely with a team in a close, collaborative manner
- 3-5 years arts management experience and knowledge of performance procedures and practices, touring and recording
- Strong knowledge of classical music in particular, along with other musical genres
- The ability to create, streamline and oversee systems, policies, and processes related to artistic planning
- Project management experience
- Solid organization skills with the ability to multitask and prioritize across several active projects
- Software acumen and the ability to manage, use, learn the following software and systems: Microsoft Office Suite, Quickbooks Online, and Squarespace
