Assistant Artistic Administrator

Music Academy; Santa Barbara (CA); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Music Academy of the West seeks an Assistant Artistic Administrator to support the Artistic Operations Department in planning the annual 8-week summer festival and year-round programs.

Reporting to the VP of Artistic Planning, the AAA coordinates calendars, contracts, and outreach with teaching artists, fellows, guest artists, and partners, ensuring smooth operations and timely information flow.

Qualifications

• Commitment to innovative educational programs for the next generation of classical musicians.
• Artistic administration experience in performing arts organizations or venues.
• Facility and extreme attention to detail with database management and scheduling systems; ArtsVision experience welcomed.
• Superb written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong social and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Excellent critical thinking and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to work on a team collaboratively with minimal supervision and adapt to changing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Partner with VPAP in creation of annual festival public event schedule and inputting of information & repertoire into ArtsVision database.
• Serve as primary festival scheduler for Fellowship Institute instrumental events (masterclasses, studio classes, rehearsals, auditions, etc.).
• Train new staff with ArtsVision onboarding; maintain accurate user data and serve as system administrator.
• Manage teaching artist and fellow calendars, including distribution and troubleshooting.
• Facilitate logistics with community partners for off-site artistic events, including educational outreach.
• Prepare and execute contracts for instrumental teaching artists and guest artists for festival and year-round programming.
• Manage hotel reservations and relationships with hotel sales personnel.
• Prepare and distribute pre-summer materials for teaching artists and fellows; maintain teaching artist and student website portals.
• Hire and supervise seasonal music librarians, Chamber Music Coordinator, and Artist Liaison.
• Assist with programming of festival chamber music concerts and donor events; advance guest artist logistics.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Organizational skills

Time management

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Written communication

Verbal communication

Tools

ArtsVision

Job description

Description

The Assistant Artistic Administrator (AAA) plays a key role in the Academy’s Artistic Operations Department in the planning and execution of the annual 8-week summer festival and other year-round programs. The AAA reports to the Vice President of Artistic Planning (VPAP) and works closely with the Artistic Operations Manager, Director of Production, and Lehrer Vocal Institute Manager to ensure smooth planning, operations, and information flow.

The AAA oversees the summer music librarians, Artist Liaison, and Chamber Music Coordinator. They interact closely with teaching artists, fellows, students, guest artists, administration, and members of the community. The role demands a detail-oriented, critical thinker, capable of juggling multiple responsibilities, and interfacing with diverse constituencies.

Requirements

Position Responsibilities:

• Partner with VPAP in creation of annual festival public event schedule and inputting of information & repertoire into ArtsVision database.
• Serve as primary festival scheduler for Fellowship Institute instrumental events (masterclasses, studio classes, rehearsals, auditions, etc.).
• Train new staff with ArtsVision onboarding; maintain accurate user data and serve as system administrator.
• Manage teaching artist and fellow calendars, including distribution and troubleshooting.
• Facilitate logistics with community partners for off-site artistic events, including educational outreach.
• In conjunction with VPAP, prepare and execute contracts for instrumental teaching artists and guest artists for festival and year-round programming.
• Manage hotel reservations and relationships with hotel sales personnel.
• Prepare and distribute pre-summer materials for teaching artists and fellows; maintain teaching artist and student website portals.
• Hire and supervise seasonal music librarians, Chamber Music Coordinator, and Artist Liaison.
• In partnership with VPAP, assist with programming of festival chamber music concerts and artistic elements of year-round donor events.
• Facilitate comprehensive guest artist services, including advancing logistics with artist managers.
• Train seasonal staff in festival program creation within Brand & Style guide parameters; ensure timely creation and accuracy of artistic content in programs.
• Manage relationships with luthiers.
• Manage program note partnership with UCSB; collect program notes and ensure timely and accurate process in conjunction with the Marketing department.
• Maintain and communicate accurate teaching artist contact information.
• Advance and execute artistic elements of year-round programming initiatives such as the Mariposa Concert Series & donor events.
• Serve as off-season Artist Liaison, including concert duty, creation of artist itineraries, transportation of artists, and bookings of accommodations.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration:

• Marketing and Communications: proof artistic collateral including festival programs & recruitment materials
• Student Services: communicate programming, scheduling, and assignments to fellows
• Finance and Administration: provide information for timely processing of invoices, contracts, and reimbursements
• Advancement: produce artistic elements of donor events, collate information for grant proposals

Other duties may be assigned.

Candidate Profile:

The Music Academy values diverse colleagues who thrive in a collaborative, highly communicative workplace. Our administration collectively informs and agrees upon the organization’s expectations for teamwork, including a positive, goal-oriented environment that positions every employee for success.

The successful candidate will ideally demonstrate some, if not all:

• A commitment to innovative educational programs for the next generation of classically trained musicians. A passion for classical music or other performing arts and a demonstrated commitment to non-profit arts organizations
• Artistic administration in performing arts organizations or venues
• Facility and extreme attention to detail with database management and scheduling systems; experience with ArtsVision a plus
• Superb written and verbal communication skills
• Strong social and interpersonal skills
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Excellent critical thinking and conflict-resolution skills
• Ability to work on a team collaboratively with minimal supervision and adapt to changing work priorities and schedules

Benefits and Compensation:

This is a non-exempt, full-time position. In-person work is required, with a one-day per week remote allowance. Compensation is $32 per hour. We provide a comprehensive benefit package for full-time employees, which includes health, vision, and dental coverage, as well as life insurance, paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a 403(b) plan.

About the Music Academy of the West

The mission of the Music Academy of the West is to educate musicians through intensive study with exceptional teachers and transformative performance opportunities, while broadening access to musical experiences for the Santa Barbara community.

The Music Academy is an equal opportunity employer. We aim to create a diverse and inclusive work environment and we value each employee’s unique experiences and perspectives.

As part of its annual Summer Music Festival & School, the Academy presents the Fellowship Institute, which train up to 150 fellows ages 18–34, alongside the High School Intensive, a two-week program for gifted musicians ages 14–18. The Festival showcases more than 100 performances and events, including masterclasses, competitions, and a fully staged opera. Year-round programs include Sing!, a youth choir that performs with local, national, and international partners; and the Mariposa Concert Series, featuring Academy-affiliated artists.

The 80th Anniversary of the Summer Music Festival & School will take place June 16–August 7, 2027. The complete performance lineup will be unveiled in early 2027.

For more information, please visit musicacademy.org.