Employment & Auditions
Orchestra Auditions
Announcing auditions on Sunday, August 25, 2024 for the following vacancies:
SECOND CLARINET
Announcing auditions on Sunday, September 8, 2024 for the following vacancies:
SECTION VIOLIN
SECTION CELLO
Staff Positions
Job Description
Title: Operations Assistant
Type: Seasonal, Non-Exempt
Immediate Supervisor: Operations and Education Manager
Position Summary:
The Operations Assistant of the Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS) works with the Operations and Education Manager during performance weeks to facilitate a smooth rehearsal and performance cycle for the Symphony. As part of a small production team, the Operations Assistant must be willing to be flexible and perform a variety of tasks that can vary from production to production. The Operations Assistant will assist with moving, setting up, and breaking down Symphony instruments and equipment throughout the week of a concert and will work as a stagehand on performance days.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent required
- Ability to work flexible, seasonal hours including nights, mornings, weekends, and holidays
- Ability to work long and irregular hours that vary function-to-function and may include days, nights, weekends, and holidays
- Able to stand for long periods; able to walk up and down steep stairs
- Occasionally required to kneel
- Ability to lift 50 pounds or more
- Ability to balance on a variety of surfaces including loading docks and lift gates
- Ability to read, write, and speak English
- Soft skills pertaining to client-side and interpersonal relations
- Knowledge of Symphonic instruments and Symphony operations is a plus
- Basic knowledge of lighting and audio equipment and operation is a plus
Reasonable accommodations will be considered for those with disabilities.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Includes the following. Other duties may be assigned.
Loading, setup, and unloading - 60%
- Assist with loading/unloading Symphony instruments, road cases, and equipment into box trucks
- Operates the truck’s lift gate when necessary to facilitate loading/unloading
- Ensure safe treatment and transit of percussion instruments, including moving them around the stage and in and out of their road cases
- Assists with stage setup, including chairs, stands, instrument, and riser placement
- Assists with riser/stage deck construction, when necessary
Stagehand work - 40%
- Assist with moving equipment, instruments, and/or props on and off the stage during rehearsals and performances
- Interface with guest artist(s) to ensure they arrive backstage from their dressing room(s) at the correct time
- Set, replace, and charge stand lights for Symphony musicians
- Interface with Symphony musicians regarding their needs and/or concerns about stage setup
- Work with additional hired personnel and outside contractors to ensure a smooth execution of the show
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to move around various facilities; to stand for long hours during events; speak and listen. This position will require work outside of the buildings including inside and outside of box trucks.
Schedule:
- Various and differing days throughout the WPS Season - approx. September - May
- Approx. 180 total hours throughout the 2024 - 2025 Season - tentative schedule available upon request
- 10 - 12 concert cycles throughout the season
- May be asked to work additional events as they arise
Sample Masterworks Schedule
Thursday - Load-in: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Saturday - Concert and load-out: 6:00 pm - 1:00 am
Sample 1-Day Pops Schedule
Saturday - Load-in, rehearsal, load-out - 6:00 am - 2:00 am Sunday
Compensation:
- $18 - 20/hour; no benefits offered
Note:
The essential duties and responsibilities of this position are described under the headings above. They may be subject to change at any time. This document in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position.
An Equal Opportunity Employer
The Western Piedmont Symphony is an Equal Opportunity Employer and an employer with zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment in the workplace. It is the policy of the Western Piedmont Symphony to provide all persons with equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual preference, gender identification, disability, age, or veteran status.
To Apply:
Please submit a cover letter, résumé, a portfolio link (if applicable), and three professional references to em********@wp********.org
Candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted. No phone calls please.
Application deadline: open until filled.
About Western Piedmont Symphony:
Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS) is the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, based in Hickory. For 60 years, WPS has enriched and engaged the communities of western North Carolina through high-quality symphonic music with creative, relevant performances, and educational opportunities for all ages. Each season, the Symphony presents an inspiring classical Masterworks series, a fun and entertaining Foothills Pops series, a variety of small music ensembles in the Crossroads series, family-friendly Discovery Family Concerts, plus education and community engagement programs in the Catawba Valley, all under the artistic direction of Maestro Matthew Troy. Western Piedmont Symphony is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council and is a funded affiliate of the Arts Culture Catawba. Business offices are located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory. Box Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wed. - Fri. For more information about Western Piedmont Symphony, call 828-324-8603, visit wpsymphony.org, or email in**@wp********.org. Follow Western Piedmont Symphony on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or X.
Internships
For 60 years, Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS) has enriched and engaged the communities of the western foothills of North Carolina through high quality symphonic music with creative, relevant performances and educational opportunities for all ages. WPS is based in Hickory, North Carolina, and performs in Catawba, Caldwell, and Burke counties.
This internship offers an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the nonprofit & performing arts industry by working firsthand with the administrative staff of the Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS). The Intern will rotate through the staff of Administration, Marketing, Patron Experience, Operations, Education, and Executive Leadership allowing the Intern to learn about all aspects of managing a professional regional symphony orchestra. Time with each mentor is arranged between the Operations & Education Manager and the Intern to maximize exposure to the area of the Intern’s greatest experiential needs and the needs of the Symphony.
PATRON EXPERIENCE - Working with the Patron Experience Coordinator, the Intern will get hands-on experience working with our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, Arts People. Arts People is a database that keeps track of all of our ticketing, donation, and patron account information. The Intern may also work on direct mailing initiatives, such as donor campaigns, and help with volunteer recruitment/management.
MARKETING - This portion deals with the brand media and communications for the symphony, including photography, website management, print media design, promotions, ad sales, guerrilla marketing, printing, ordering, proofreading, and more.
OPERATIONS & EDUCATION - Working with the Operations & Education Manager, the Intern will learn about the “nuts and bolts'' of orchestra management, including inventory management/maintenance, venue & transportation rentals, and all aspects of concert production. The Intern will also assist on the numerous education and community engagement programs of the WPS.
EXECUTIVE - While with this mento, the Intern may learn about policy decisions, programming, budget planning, and all it takes to run an orchestra. Tasks would include general assistance to the Executive Director and, occasionally, the Music Director.
The Intern will primarily report to the Operations & Education Manager and will keep a timesheet reporting their hours and activities. This internship is an unpaid position. Upon completion of the internship, the Executive Director will prepare a letter of appreciation detailing the Intern’s service for that semester.
An Equal Opportunity Employer
The Western Piedmont Symphony is an Equal Opportunity Employer and an employer with zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment in the workplace. It is the policy of the Western Piedmont Symphony to provide all persons with equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual preference, gender identification, disability, age, or veteran status.
About Western Piedmont Symphony:
Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS) is the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina. For 58 years, WPS has enriched and engaged the communities of Western North Carolina through high quality symphonic music with creative, relevant performances and educational opportunities for all ages. Each season, the Symphony presents an inspiring classical Masterworks series, a fun and unique Foothills Pops series, varying ensembles in the Chamber Classics series, plus education and community engagement programs in the Unifour region, all under the artistic direction of Maestro Matthew Troy. The Western Piedmont Symphony is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council and is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. Business offices are located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory. Box Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Mon. - Fri. For more information about Western Piedmont Symphony, call 828-324-8603, visit WPSymphony.org, or email in**@WP********.org. Follow Western Piedmont Symphony on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter.
Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS)
General Internship Policies
PURPOSE OF THESE POLICIES
- To give WPS Interns, WPS staff, and the WPS Board of Directors a common understanding of their relationships.
- To inform Interns that they are representatives of the WPS.
- To describe to Interns their relationship to the public and to the WPS patrons.
- To attest that the Intern candidate is an adult of at least 18 years of age without past or pending criminal investigations.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- WPS Interns perform their duties and responsibilities in a manner which promotes cooperation with each other, with the Executive Committee, with the Board of Directors, and with related agencies in the community.
- A policy of nondiscrimination applies to all aspects of the WPS organization without regard to race, religion, handicap, color, creed, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender.
- All new Intern candidates will complete the registration form, personally meet with the Operations & Education Manager, and will receive a brief orientation to the WPS Intern service model.
PRACTICES
- WPS Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM. The Intern’s activities coincide with the staff’s scheduled hours, either in the office, during an event, or as assigned out of the office. The office will be closed New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after Thanksgiving, and two days at Christmas.
- The number of hours served will be tabulated in anticipation of the Internship Service Recognition. In addition, if requested, the Operations & Education Manager will provide verification of these documented hours for résumés, community service records, and job and/or college applications.
- WPS does not provide liability insurance or health insurance for Interns. Each Intern is encouraged to match their skills and abilities to the position description before tackling any task, such as lifting, walking, or standing.
- Interns do not receive compensation or reimbursement for expenses incurred during or on behalf of their WPS assignment.
- Interns will be discrete and will not share/discuss non-public information. If sharing on social media, information should positively reflect WPS and the people who serve the organization.
- Reliability and Initiative are highly valued qualities. A 24-hour notice to the Operations & Education Manager is requested if an Intern will be absent or otherwise unable to keep their commitment.
- If either the volunteer or the staff have concerns about Internship performance, their grievance can be presented to the Executive Director for mediation and resolution. Separation may occur for unreliability, disruption to harmonious teamwork, sexual harassment in any form, inefficiency, negligence or incompetence in performance, discourteous/discriminatory treatment of the public or other employees, physical or mental incapacity to perform assignments, fraud, theft, lack of confidentiality regarding staff, musicians, and patrons.
To Apply:
- Please submit a cover letter, résumé, and three references to op*@wp********.org
- Candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted. No phone calls please.
- Internship application deadline: open until filled
About Western Piedmont Symphony:
Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS) is the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina. For 58 years, WPS has enriched and engaged the communities of Western North Carolina through high quality symphonic music with creative, relevant performances and educational opportunities for all ages. Each season, the Symphony presents an inspiring classical Masterworks series, a fun and unique Foothills Pops series, varying ensembles in the Chamber Classics series, plus education and community engagement programs in the Unifour region, all under the artistic direction of Maestro Matthew Troy. The Western Piedmont Symphony is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council and is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. Business offices are located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory. Box Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Mon. - Fri. For more information about Western Piedmont Symphony, call 828-324-8603, visit WPSymphony.org, or email in**@WP********.org. Follow Western Piedmont Symphony on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter.