Description
Assistant Conductor / Director of Musical Outreach
Chor Leoni – Vancouver, BC International Search
Who we are-
Chor Leoni is a community dedicated to changing lives through music. For 35 years, we've combined world-class artistic excellence with deep community engagement: inspiring audiences, training artists, educating youth, and advancing the choral art form by creating, promoting, and presenting lower voice choral music. Our vision is simple: to engage and enrich the world through choral singing. As one of North America's most active choral organizations, we take that seriously. Beyond Vancouver we've been recognized internationally through numerous festival awards, including the Margaret Hillis Award, the most prestigious honour given by the professional organization Chorus America.
With more than 15 series concerts a year, local touring and charity performances, three youth education programs, a choral festival, exciting commissioning projects, and robust digital programming, Chor Leoni is an organisation driven by its impact. All of this is powered by a tight-knit, mission-driven team.
The opportunity
Chor Leoni is seeking a full-time Assistant Conductor / Director of Musical Outreach to help shape the next chapter of one of the world's most impactful choral organizations. You'll work to support our Artistic Director and be ready to step onto the podium for any of our weekly rehearsals or 15+ annual concerts. You'll also build Chor Leoni's youth and community programs into some of the most mission-driven choral education offerings in the country.
As you live and work in Vancouver, BC, you'll engage a community of 15,000+ audience members, 10,000+ consistent digital viewers, 200+ young singers across our MYVoice and Emerging Choral Artist programs, and our 70-voice volunteer choir. This is a rare chance to combine world-class musicianship with real ownership over program growth.
You bring top-level musical instruction and training, balanced with a gift for creating belonging: internally with our artists and Artistic Director, and externally with the singers, families, and communities you'll serve. You move comfortably between supporting someone else's artistic vision and leading independently, and you bring fresh energy, rigor, and heart to a mission you believe in.
This position will be buoyed by Chor Leoni's full-time staff and board, a group of professionals and supporters who are eager to support you in this new position. The scope of this role, and its compensation, are meant to grow alongside the programs you build.
What you'll actually do
Support the Artistic Director
Cover the Artistic Director for rehearsals and performances
Conduct preparatory and sectional rehearsals as requested
Attend rehearsals to collect and organize the Artistic Director's markings, and listen for ensemble preparation
Advise the Artistic Director on issues of balance and other musical considerations
Manage the choir's roster, attendance, and season participation alongside section leaders
Liaise with the Artistic Director and Production Manager on score and marking distribution, and manage scores for collaborators
Prepare rehearsal and performance seating charts and other choir logistics
Assist in concert production, including lighting, sound, and supertitles, and work with Chor Leoni’s Production Manager
Attend weekly staff and production meetings, plus meetings with the Artistic Director
Lead youth, education & community programs
Recruit, manage, and direct MYVoice, Chor Leoni's 10-week, non-auditioned program for tenors, baritones, and basses aged 12–19
Through your vision, grow MYVoice into one of the most locally impactful choral education programs in the country, engaging singers and audiences year-round
Recruit, manage, and help prepare the Emerging Choral Artist Program and the MYVoice Invitational choirs
Create new initiatives that bring choral singing into our local community
Other duties
Represent Chor Leoni in public and community settings
Attend all Chor Leoni concerts, special events, and programs as needed
Other duties and responsibilities as directed
What you're great at
Supporting the Artistic Director and 70 volunteer singers in the preparation and presentation of busy and impactful concert seasons
Preparing and conducting youth choruses to a high standard of impact and quality
Piano skills strong enough to run rehearsals and sectionals independently
Recruiting, managing, and building youth choral programs from the ground up
Deep knowledge of vocal technique and choral repertoire across styles and traditions
Communicating and organizing with clarity, especially under a tight rehearsal or production timeline
Balancing supportive work with an Artistic Director, musicians, and administrative staff, while also leading programs and projects independently
Engaging communities through choral music in ways that build genuine belonging
Balancing musical excellence with warmth, humility, and a growth mindset
Compensation, location & term
This is an independent contractor position, initially contracted for three years at a starting annual rate of $70,000 CAD, beginning on a mutually agreed date within Chor Leoni's 2027–28 season and no later than January 1, 2028. That $70,000 CAD figure is a starting point, not a ceiling. As this role creates new revenue opportunities (grants, major gifts, program-driven earned income), compensation will grow to reflect that impact, and we're glad to talk through what that could look like with the right candidate.
Chor Leoni's leadership expects this role to be a qualified candidate's primary professional commitment, and requires residency in the Metro Vancouver area. We are recruiting internationally for this role, and Chor Leoni will offer guidance and support to candidates relocating from outside Canada to establish residency, including help navigating work authorization.
How to apply
To be considered, please submit the following materials no later than Wednesday, December 30, 2026:
A cover letter expressing your specific interest in this role
A current resume or CV
A list of significant repertoire and ensembles you've conducted
Two (2) letters of professional reference
A video compilation (up to 30 minutes) of both performance and rehearsal footage showing a diverse range of musical and conducting styles — a link to YouTube, Dropbox, or a similar platform is welcome
Timeline
First-round remote interviews: January 2027
Finalists notified: early February 2027
Finalist round: in-person interviews with the Artistic and Executive Director and other Chor Leoni stakeholders, plus a conducting audition with Chor Leoni, our MYVoice program, and possible collaborators: April 2027
All communications will be treated as confidential; no public announcement will be made about the list of finalists.
Please send application materials to apply@chorleoni.org with the subject line ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR.
Equal opportunity & diversity
Chor Leoni is an equal opportunity employer, and we strongly encourage applications from equity-seeking, underrepresented, and marginalized communities.
Requirements
Qualifications & experience
A Master of Music degree preferred, or equivalent experience leading high-level choral ensembles
Demonstrated success recruiting, managing, and conducting youth choirs
Ability to cover Chor Leoni’s Artistic Director, including performance
Experience, or exhibit a strong potential, for building and scaling a choral education or community program
International candidates are welcome to apply; see Compensation, location & term
