Music - Assistant Professor - Composition

The Macalester College Department of Music seeks applications for an Assistant Professor position in Music Composition (tenure-track), with an anticipated start date of August 2026. Of particular interest will be candidates with a specialty in a secondary area, which could fall within several categories of humanistic fields of Music (e.g., jazz, improvisation, Black music, Latin American music, Indigenous music, World music, hip-hop, performance pedagogy), an area of music technology (e.g., electronic media, sound design, gaming, music and AI, film scoring) or other practical areas (e.g., new music ensemble, music therapy, civic engagement, music education).

The faculty member in this position is expected to share responsibilities for teaching classes in Music Theory (including musicianship classes), advising students in capstones and independent projects, in addition to teaching composition and, possibly orchestration and other related fields as appropriate. Salary and benefits are competitive (please see details below). Candidates must have a strong commitment and vision for both teaching and research in an undergraduate liberal arts environment with an enthusiastic spirit for collaboration with other faculty members and staff. The selected candidate will contribute to the teaching of a broad range of courses, from introductory to advanced, and will mentor undergraduate research. Review of applications will begin October 1st, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. Questions should be directed to the Chair of the Department, Mark Mandarano ( mmandara@macalester.edu ).

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic qualifications (required as of start date)

• Ph.D., DMA in music composition (or parallel international degree), or equivalent work experience

Preferred qualifications

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Document requirements

Cover letter details :  At Macalester College, diversity, equity, and inclusion have long been central to our educational mission and values. We are committed to the institutional change required for visioning and realizing a more equitable and socially just college and society. Accordingly, we ask all candidates to address the following in their cover letter (no more than three pages).

Macalester faculty teach five semester course sections per year (or an equivalent, e.g. in the case of an ensemble director), supervise senior capstone presentations and honors theses, advise students in their curricular and career choices, maintain an active scholarly agenda, and engage in pedagogical, curricular, and extracurricular departmental activities. During their first year of the appointment, new faculty teach four courses and attend a weekly new faculty development seminar.

Apply online at Academic Jobs Online https : / / academicjobsonline.org / ajo / jobs / 30239

About Music at Macalester :

Music Department Website :   https : / / www.macalester.edu / music /   ;

Music Department Courses :   https : / / www.macalester.edu / music / courses /   ;

Mairs Concert Hall and other Arts Spaces @ Mac :   https : / / www.macalester.edu / arts-at-mac / mairs-concert-hall /   ;

Music Department Mission : The study of music, as both an artistic practice and a critical enterprise, demands engagement with essential questions about the human experience, while also creating space for individual personal expression, and fostering connections with communities. The music curriculum is designed with accessibility in mind; students are extended considerable freedom to pursue their interests. In our course offerings we place music within the broad contexts of the liberal arts, leading students to a deeper understanding of music’s social and political status across time and space, together with teaching the crafts of theory, analysis, and composition. Students are encouraged not just to consider music within the framework of aesthetics and beauty, but to explore music’s legacy as a disruptive force in the many ways it has been used to call attention to problematic issues within society. In lessons and ensembles covering a range of musical traditions, students are trained in applied music-making, with opportunities for recital participation, master classes, and interaction with guest artists. We place particular emphasis on the ways that ensembles build community, bringing together participants and audiences from the department, college, and the wider Twin Cities metro, to engage with the arts. Music Majors find themselves poised to pursue graduate study at the nation’s top music schools, whether it be as performers or in fields such as musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, and music theory. Other participants of the program, from the most committed to the most casual, leave the Music Department enriched by their experiences making music and thinking more imaginatively about the many roles that music plays in their lives and in the world around them.

About Macalester :  Macalester is a highly selective, private liberal arts college in the vibrant Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area, with a population of approximately three million people and home to numerous colleges and universities, including the University of Minnesota. Macalester's diverse student body comprises over 2000 undergraduates from 45 states and the District of Columbia and 70 countries. The College maintains a longstanding commitment to academic distinction with a special emphasis on internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society. As an Equal Opportunity employer supportive of affirmative efforts to achieve diversity among its faculty, Macalester College strongly encourages applications from women and members of historically marginalized groups. International scholars will receive H-1B visa assistance if selected for this position. Please note that candidates who are invited for a campus interview will be required to complete faculty screening questions, and offers of employment are contingent upon a successful criminal background check at the time of offer. Additionally, finalist candidates will be asked for additional references.

Salary : The starting salary range for this position will be $83,000–85,000, depending upon experience.

At Macalester, we offer a generous package of employee benefits. You may see our full benefits options on our Benefits Page

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