Professor - Craig Jessop Endowed Chair for Choral Conducting & Community Engagement

Professor - Craig Jessop Endowed Chair for Choral Conducting
& Community Engagement; Music Director, American Festival
Chorus & Orchestra

Requisition ID: 2026-10813

of Openings: 1

Location: US-UT-Logan

Category: Faculty

Position Type: Benefited Full-Time

Job Classification: Faculty

College: College of Arts & Sciences

Department: Music

Advertised Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and
experience, plus excellent benefits.

Overview

The Department of Music at Utah State University seeks an
accomplished conductor, educator, and artistic leader to serve as
the inaugural holder of the Craig Jessop Endowed Chair for Choral
Conducting & Community Engagement and as Music Director of the
American Festival Chorus & Orchestra (AFCO).

This unique position combines a faculty appointment as leader of
the Master of Music in Choral Conducting program with artistic
leadership of one of the Intermountain West's premier community
choral and orchestral organizations. The successful candidate will
provide academic leadership for graduate conducting education,
contribute to the teaching, scholarship, and service mission of
Utah State University, and advance the artistic excellence and
community impact of the American Festival Chorus &
Orchestra.

Responsibilities

Utah State University Faculty
Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and oversight for the Master of Music in

Choral Conducting program.

• Teach graduate and undergraduate courses in choral conducting,

choral literature, rehearsal techniques, and related areas.

• Recruit, advise, mentor, and support the retention and

professional development of graduate and undergraduate
students.

• Supervise graduate conducting students and support their career

preparation and professional placement.

• Maintain an active program of scholarly, creative, and

professional engagement consistent with the expectations of a
senior faculty member at a land-grant research university.

• Participate in curriculum development, assessment,

accreditation, and program planning.

• Contribute to departmental, college, and university

service.

• Collaborate with faculty colleagues across the department,

college, and university.

• Strengthen partnerships with community arts organizations and

educational institutions throughout the region.

• Support recruitment, outreach, and public engagement

initiatives that advance the mission of Utah State University.

American Festival Chorus & Orchestra
Responsibilities:

• Serve as Music Director and principal conductor of the American

Festival Chorus & Orchestra.

• Provide artistic leadership and vision for AFCO performances,

programs, and initiatives.

• Program, prepare, rehearse, and conduct major choral-orchestral

repertoire while sustaining AFCO's artistic standards and
reputation.

• Recruit, inspire, and retain volunteer singers and community

musicians.

• Collaborate with guest artists, conductors, orchestras, arts

organizations, and university leadership.

• Develop and maintain relationships with patrons, donors,

alumni, sponsors, and community stakeholders in support of AFCO's
artistic and organizational goals.

• Contribute to audience development, community engagement,

fundraising, and advocacy efforts consistent with AFCO's
mission.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Choral Conducting or a related

field. An equivalent record of exceptional professional achievement
and national or international distinction may be considered in lieu
of traditional academic credentials.

• At least five years of successful experience as a music

director, artistic director, or conductor of collegiate,
professional, community, church, or civic choral ensembles, with
demonstrated success developing high-level ensembles.

• Demonstrated experience programming and conducting orchestras

and major choral-orchestral repertoire.

• Experience teaching, administering, or coordinating choral

conducting or a closely related field at the university level,
including the ability to teach undergraduate and graduate courses
in choral conducting, choral literature, rehearsal techniques, and
related areas.

• Demonstrated success in student recruitment, mentoring, and

retention.

• Evidence of effective community engagement and relationship

building with arts organizations, schools, donors, alumni, and
community stakeholders.

• Strong organizational, verbal, written, and interpersonal

communication skills.

• Commitment to artistic excellence, student success,

collaborative leadership, collegiality, and public engagement.

• Piano proficiency sufficient for teaching, rehearsal, score

study, and conducting preparation.

Desired Attributes:

• Vision for artistic leadership and program development.
• Passion for graduate conducting education and mentorship.
• Ability to inspire and lead students, professional musicians,

and community volunteers.

• Commitment to building meaningful connections between Utah

State University and the broader community.

• Appreciation for the partnership between Utah State University

and the American Festival Chorus & Orchestra.

• Commitment to continuing and expanding a tradition of artistic

excellence, educational opportunity, community engagement, and
service.

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please attach:

• CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the

Candidate Profile under "Resume/CV"

• Cover letter addressing qualifications and interest in the

position to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the
Candidate Profile under "Documents 1-10"

• Names and contact information of at least three references to

be typed in the beginning of the application

• At least three links to recent video recordings demonstrating

conducting and rehearsal leadership. Public or unlisted links are
accepted. These will be typed/pasted at the end of your
application

Document size may not exceed 10 MB.

Advertised Salary

Commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent
benefits.

ADA

Employees typically work indoors and are protected from weather
and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature
changes.

College/Department Highlights

Department Highlights

The Department of Music serves approximately 250 music majors and
is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
Located in the Chase Fine Arts Center, the department's facilities
include teaching studios, rehearsal spaces, faculty offices, Daines
Concert Hall, and the Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall. The
department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in music
performance, music education, music therapy, conducting, and
related disciplines. https://artsci.usu.edu/music/"
rel="noopener">https://artsci.usu.edu/music/

American Festival Chorus & Orchestra
Highlights

Founded in 2008 by Craig Jessop, the American Festival Chorus &
Orchestra is a distinctive community partner of Utah State
University and a leading choral-orchestral organization in the
Intermountain West. The auditioned ensemble includes more than 200
singers from northern Utah and southern Idaho and a 65-member
professional orchestra composed of university faculty, regional
professionals, and select students.

AFCO presents repertoire ranging from major choral-orchestral
masterworks and opera to pops, Americana, and seasonal programming.
Through collaborations with nationally recognized guest artists,
regional arts organizations, and educational partners, AFCO
contributes to the cultural life of the region while providing
opportunities for artistic participation, education, and community
engagement. https://americanfestivalchorus.org/"
rel="noopener">https://americanfestivalchorus.org/

Caine School of the Arts Highlights

The Caine School of the Arts, within Utah State University's
College of Arts & Sciences, promotes the arts and arts
education on campus and throughout the community. The school
supports community engagement in the arts, provides professional
stewardship of performance and exhibition facilities, and
collaborates with university leadership, patrons, and donors to
strengthen arts programs and initiatives. https://artsci.usu.edu/caine/"
rel="noopener">https://artsci.usu.edu/caine/

College Highlights

The College of Arts & Sciences encompasses programs in the
arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The
college supports discovery, creativity, and student success through
teaching, research, creative activity, and community engagement.
Faculty and students collaborate across disciplines to address
complex challenges, generate new knowledge, and prepare graduates
for meaningful careers and lives of impact. https://artsci.usu.edu/"
rel="noopener">https://artsci.usu.edu/

University Highlights

As Utah's student-centered, land-grant research university, Utah
State University expands opportunity and strengthens communities
across the state through learning, discovery, extension, and
engagement. Founded in 1888, USU now holds two Carnegie
distinctions: R1 status for very high research activity and the
Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. Its innovative
research and scholarship is grounded in reciprocal partnerships
with local, regional, and global communities, advancing knowledge
and serving the public good across Utah, the nation, and the world.
With over 50 world-class research facilities and the nation's
second-oldest undergraduate research program, USU prepares students
to become active, civically engaged leaders who can address
critical societal challenges.

USU enrolls over 29,800 students, both online and in person at
locations throughout the state. Utah State's 30
locations include a main campus in Logan, Utah, residential
campuses in Price and Blanding, and six additional statewide
campuses, along with education centers serving every county. USU
educates students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries.
For over 100 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns,
serving every county in the state.

Competing at the NCAA Division I level in 16 sports, USU is a proud
member of the Pac-12 Conference, which it joined July 1, 2026. The
Aggies capped a historic final season in the Mountain West by
capturing nine combined regular-season and tournament titles in
2025-26, with five teams advancing to postseason play. This
tradition of excellence extends to the classroom, where 232
student-athletes earned academic honors, and to the community,
where USU ranked second nationally in Division I service hours,
with nine teams placing in the top 10 for community service.

Utah State is dedicated to fostering a community where all
individuals feel respected, valued, and supported and where
diversity of thought and culture are cultivated. We seek to
recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will
champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach,
and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community
and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and
be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when
it named Utah State the best employer in
Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU.

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support
careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally,
USU is committed to providing access and a reasonable accommodation
for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable
accommodation for a disability, contact the university's ADA
coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at 435-797-0122 or
hr@usu.edu.

*updated 10/26

To apply, visit https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/10813/professor---craig-jessop-endowed-chair-for-choral-conducting-%26-community-engagement--music-director%2c-american-festival-chorus-%26-orchestra/job?in_iframe=1

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The following office has been designated to handle inquiries
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Civil Rights & Title IX Office

Old Main Room 405

1475 Old Main Hill, Logan UT 84322

titleix@usu.edu

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For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit
crtix.usu.edu or contact:

U.S. Department of Education

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U.S. Department of Education

Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

800-421-3481 | OCR@ed.gov

*updated 08/2026

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