The New England Conservatorium of Music (NECOM) is seeking an experienced and inspirational piano teacher and piano accompanist to join our committed team, supporting and developing our rapidly growing Keyboard Department.
The right person for the job will:
- Be committed to music education with at least 2 years of full-time teaching experience (or equivalent) as a studio piano teacher and accompanist, either in a school or as a peripatetic teacher
- Hold at least a Bachelor of Music degree or equivalent in piano performance (e.g. LMus, LTCL etc.)
- Have demonstrated experience teaching piano to at least Grade 6 AMEB level (or equivalent)
- Have demonstrated ability to accompany students in concerts and examinations from beginner to advanced level
- Be a good communicator, with outstanding planning and organisational skills
- Be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
- Be willing to work as part of a team
Desirable qualities include:
- An ability to teach music theory and musicianship to Grade 6 AMEB level (or equivalent)
- Experience in ensemble coaching and/or choral accompanying and conducting
About the Piano Teacher & Resident Accompanist
The Piano Teacher & Resident Accompanist will be based in Armidale, New South Wales, a leading regional centre for education, music, arts and culture. The role is a unique opportunity in one of the State’s most prolific and flourishing regional Conservatoriums. The successful candidate will join our rapidly growing keyboard department and will also work across a range of school and community settings.
The Piano Teacher & Resident Accompanist will prepare solo students and ensembles for performance opportunities facilitated by NECOM, as well as for eisteddfods and exams. They will also be involved in community-based activities that help raise the profile and reputation of the New England Conservatorium of Music, promoting music education in the region, and broadening knowledge of, and participation in music-making in the community. These include professional performance opportunities across the region.
Commencing Term 1 2023, the position averages 38 hours per week during NSW public school terms (325 hours of face-to-face teaching, plus 55 hours administration hours across a 10 week term).
The New England Conservatorium of Music
Resident in the historic Armidale Teachers’ College, the New England Conservatorium of Music is a highly respected cultural institution, founded on the belief that high-quality music education and music performance embedded in a regional community gives it unique cohesion, economic, and social capacity.
A significant contributor to the identity of Armidale and the New England, the Conservatorium delivers 29,000 hours of classroom, ensemble and instrumental programs each year through a unique “conservatorium without walls” model connecting 8500 students across the Northern Tablelands.
NECOM also functions as a local concert presenter, with an annual program of 100 events featuring visiting and local artists for audiences in excess of 19,000 – a significant achievement for a regional centre with a population of only 30,000.
NECOM was established in 2004 and has grown exponentially since then to provide an outstanding and diverse range of music education and performance programs in the Armidale and broader New England region.
Living and working in Armidale
Widely considered the ‘capital’ of the New England, Armidale is the administrative centre of the Northern Tablelands, centrally located only an hour’s flight from both Sydney and Brisbane.
With a cosmopolitan culture, it is a university city that prides itself on being dynamic, progressive, and innovative. It is surrounded by national parks, has four distinct seasons due to its altitude, and offers its residents a beautiful, culturally diverse, and friendly regional environment.
With excellent amenities and lifestyle options, Armidale also enjoys affordable housing and is renowned for its thriving cultural life. NECOM professional music specialists include a young and dynamic cohort who contribute enormously to the city’s vibrancy.
Salary
This position is offered as a 3-year term based on NECOM’s budget and funding arrangements. Annual salary range is $77,021- $80,021 based on qualifications and experience plus superannuation and legislated entitlements. Professional performance opportunities can be negotiated in addition to annual salary. A relocation allowance may be offered for the right candidate.
How to apply
Applications should be addressed to Sophie Williams by 5pm Friday 11 November 2022 including a cover letter, resume and details of at least two referees who may be contacted during the selection process.
Sophie Williams
New England Conservatorium of Music
sophie@necom.org.au
02-6788 2135
Further information
Resident in the Armidale Teachers’ College. Facilities include 18 teaching studios, three spaces for public performances (including a 250 seat auditorium), various large ensemble rehearsal rooms, specialist departments for music therapy and early childhood music education, and an extensive music library.
NECOM’s team of 26 performer-teachers include a young and dynamic cohort who contribute enormously to the city’s vibrancy. Several staff play key roles in the Armidale Symphony Orchestra and other community ensembles. Public concert performances include the Homestead Series, and concert engagements across the region. Armidale is home to several well-equipped performance venues.
NECOM has over 640 students enrolled in one-to-one studio lessons across Brass, Keyboard, Strings, Percussion, Voice, and Woodwind Departments, including over 110 piano enrolments. The Keyboard Department team includes six studio piano teachers and four accompanists.
Our teaching rooms house 11 grand pianos and 12 uprights; plus a Shigeru Kawai SK7-L grand piano (to be launched with recitals in 2023) as our new concert instrument for the Armidale Teachers’ College Auditorium. NECOM’s keyboard collection also includes a single-manual harpsichord and Walter model fortepiano. In the general community, Armidale has several fine pipe organs.
Listen to excerpts from recitals by two of NECOM’s 2022 HSC piano students. Both students study with NECOM’s Head of Keyboard, Sheila Guymer.
Will Mackson (piano): https://youtu.be/UfJAaiBO7Po
Kasey Cochrane (piano), with NECOM staff member Eliza Scott (violin): https://youtu.be/1nl5FtysKy8