Senior Director of Artistic Planning

Senior Director of Artistic Planning

Artistic Operations Department

Artistic Planning

Work Status:

Regular Full Time

FLSA Status:

Exempt

Location of Job:

Davies Symphony Hall

San Francisco CA

Salary:

$168809$193485

Schedule:

Hybrid

Regular Hours:

9 am5 pm; regular evenings and weekends

Reports To:

Chief Operating Officer

Supervisory:

Yes

4 direct reports

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

The San Francisco Symphony is widely considered to be among the most artistically adventurous and innovative arts institutions in the United States celebrated for its artistic excellence creative performance concepts active touring awardwinning recordings and standardsetting education programs. In the 202021 season the San Francisco Symphony welcomed conductor and composer EsaPekka Salonen as its twelfth Music Director and embarked on a new vision for the present and future of the orchestral landscape. This exciting artistic future builds on the remarkable 25year tenure of Michael Tilson Thomas as the San Francisco Symphonys Music Director. Tilson Thomas continues his rich relationship with the Symphony as its first Music Director Laureate. In their inaugural season together EsaPekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony have introduced a groundbreaking artistic leadership model anchored by eight Collaborative Partners from a variety of cultural disciplines: Nicholas Britell Julia Bullock Claire Chase Bryce Dessner Pekka Kuusisto Nico Muhly Carol Reiley and Esperanza Spalding. This group of visionary artists thinkers and doers joins with Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony to chart a new course of experimentation by collaborating on new ideas breaking conventional rules and creating unique and powerful experiences.

The San Francisco Symphony presents more than 220 concerts and presentations annually for an audience of nearly 450000 in its home of Davies Symphony Hall and through its national and international touring. A cornerstone of the organizations mission the San Francisco Symphonys education programs are the most extensive offered by any American orchestra today providing free comprehensive music education to every first through fifth grade student in the San Francisco public schools and serving more than 75000 children students educators and families annually. The San Francisco Symphonys recordings have won such awards as Frances Grand Prix du Disque and Britains Gramophone Award as well as 16 Grammy Awards. San Francisco Symphony radio broadcasts the first in the nation to feature symphonic music when they began in 1926 today carry the Orchestras concerts across the country. In 2004 the SFS launched the multimedia Keeping Score on PBSTV and online and in 2014 the San Francisco Symphony inaugurated SoundBox an experimental performance venue and music series located backstage at Davies Symphony Hall. February 2021 saw the launch of SFSymphony the San Francisco Symphonys ondemand video streaming service. For more information visit sfsymphony.

JOB SUMMARY
The Senior Director of Artistic Planning serves as the lead administrator developing the San Francisco Symphonys programming with a focus on creating exciting and memorable concert experiences uniting audiences and artists together around our art form and leveraging the flexibility and collaborative nature of orchestral music to create engaging experiences that resonate with our community. This role is responsible for leading or overseeing the programming process for all content produced by the San Francisco Symphony including classical pops chamber and education programs as well as presentations and recitals. The Senior Director of Artistic Planning is also responsible for overseeing supporting and developing the Artistic Planning team (six fulltime employees) overseeing the San Francisco Symphony Chorus 32 unionized professionals and 130 volunteers) selecting and contracting the conducting staff and building and maintaining relationships with numerous external artists and other partners.

The Senior Director of Artistic Planning works in close partnership with the Music Director Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to program artistically exceptional concerts that reflect the Symphonys strategic goals and artistic vision. They work closely with the Music Director to develop and execute the Music Directors vision and they consult with and advise the Music Director on all matters related to artistic planning. This role is also expected to partner with the directors of the Operations Orchestra Personnel and Education teams on planning strategic discussions and key decision making to ensure that every concert is professionally planned and executed.

This position plays a key role in the Symphonys audience development efforts through collaborating closely with other teams in the organization to understand patron preferences and to ensure that the Symphonys content and season arcs are compelling for Bay Area and international audiences. This role is responsible for ensuring that the Symphonys programming is of the highest possible artistic quality with an extensive and varied range of repertoire artists and conductors while operating within the organizations financial resources and its longrange forecast.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership

• Manage the Artistic Planning team (six employees) guiding and mentoring the team and creating and leading a collaborative and inclusive culture within it.
• Serve as primary liaison to Music Director and serve as member of Music Director Search Committee when applicable.
• Serve as lead administrator managing relationships with key artistic personnel including conducting staff guest conductors soloists and other artistic partners.
• Oversee the relationship with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus including overseeing the operations of the Chorus serving as primary liaison to the Chorus Director and partnering with the COO and Chorus Manager on matters related to AGMA (the union representing the 32 professional members of the Chorus).
• Partner with the COO and the directors of the Operations Orchestra Personnel and Education teams to drive the Artistic Operations Departments successful and professional of programs and projects in alignment with the Symphonys strategic goals.
• Serve as a liaison to the community and as a public spokesperson as necessary.
• Serves as primary management liaison for the orchestras Musical Advisory Committee with support from COO.
• Serve as primary management liaison for the Joint Artistic Committee with support from COO.
• Serve as an administrative staff member of the Players Committee Grid Committee and others as necessary.
• Oversee the Artistic Planning expense budget ensuring timely and accurate budget projections and overseeing the preparation and approval of biweekly Chorus payrolls.
• Conduct job functions and activities in alignment with the principles of the Symphonys Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work and support the organizations DEI work through participation in working groups and other initiatives as possible.

Content Creation and Season Planning

• Serve as the lead administrator developing the Symphonys programming.
• In partnership with the COO develop and implement season architecture including programming mix festivals major projects and initiatives ancillary events subscription structure and service utilization.
• Meet crossdepartmental season planning timelines set by the Leadership Team.
• Drive the implementation of key strategic initiatives such as Diversity Equity and Inclusion and Audience Development in all areas of content creation.
• Actively partner with the Marketing & Communications team to embed Audience Development principles into the programming process through being responsive to audience feedback and planning programming that intentionally builds and develops audiences.
• Partner with the Marketing & Communications and Operations teams to develop and produce ancillary concert experience elements that serve to drive deeper connections with our audiences such as preconcert lectures lobby exhibits and other touchpoints.
• To ensure a collaborative programming process that reflects varied priorities build and lead a crossconstituent Programming Review team that meets regularly to receive updates on and discuss individual concert programs themes and narratives within and across the season artist residency and commissioning plans and other important highlights and initiatives. Work with other departments in the organization to ensure that programming reflects both artistic priorities and patron preferences and is responsive to any financial and/or operational constraints.

Artistic Planning

• In collaboration with Music Director CEO COO and Programming Review team develop holistic longrange artistic vision that provides continuity across the full breadth of the Symphonys artistic output and aligns with the organizations strategic direction.
• Drive the development of major projects including festivals semistaged and multimedia productions organizational collaborations composer and artist residencies and Music Director initiatives.
• Lead the programming process for all subscription concerts and other classical programs and presentations.
• Lead the programming process for all chamber concerts.
• Lead the programming process for the annual Gala and All San Francisco concert in collaboration with Development team.
• Oversee the programming process for series led by other Artistic Planning team members including Great Performers Series Holiday Summer Film SoundBox Education programs special event programs and other concerts and presentations.
• Oversee the commissioning of new music with an eye toward building the future canon of orchestral music.
• Implement touring strategy and plans in partnership with Music Director COO and Operations team and participate in all SFS domestic and international touring to ensure the smooth operation of artistrelated activities and travel.
• Implement electronic media strategy and plans in coordination with Music Director and COO and partner with the Operations team on matters related to media asset production.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Extensive knowledge of classical artists and repertoire.
• Ability to think innovatively about the practice of artistic planning and to take a collaborative approach that reflects varied priorities and strategies.
• Long standing professional relationships and the ability to nurture relationships with guest artists and conductors.
• Minimum 10 years experience working in a senior capacity within the classical music industry.
• Ability to professionally and diplomatically communicate and interact with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment.
• Experience with budgeting projections and financial management.
• Strong situational awareness; able to work discreetly independently and display good judgment in dealing with diverse personalities and potentially difficult situations.
• Must be available to regularly work flexible hours particularly weekends and evenings.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Oversee department of six fulltime staff.

Direct supervision of:

• Artistic Administrator
• Program Manager Pops & Presentations
• Senior Manager Artistic Planning
• Executive Assistant to the Music Director

Responsible for selecting and contracting conducting staff:

• San Francisco Symphony Chorus Director
• Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education (in collaboration with Education team)
• Wattis Foundation Music Director Youth Orchestra (in collaboration with Education team)

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The internal and external constituents with whom this position most frequently interacts include:

• COO
• Music Director
• CEO
• Conducting staff
• Artistic Operations Department (Artistic Planning Operations Orchestra Personnel and Education teams)
• Marketing Advocacy & Community Engagement Development Finance departments
• Guest artists and their managers and agents
• Orchestra and Chorus