Description
Reports to: Board of Directors
Location: Lake Placid & Adirondack Region, New York
Position Status: Summer seasonal (Six weeks; July-August), with some off-season artistic responsibilities as described below.
Compensation: $30,000-$35,000; Lodging is provided in the Lake Placid area during the summer season.
Application Deadline: Applications considered on a rolling basis with a final deadline of March 31, 2026.
Anticipated Start Date: Fall 2027
The Position:
The Lake Placid Sinfonietta seeks an exceptional musician and visionary, engaging leader to be music director and shape the Orchestra of the Adirondacks’ future. This unique orchestra is a close-knit family of dedicated and talented musicians from across the country who come together to serve the Adirondack community as the leading performing arts ensemble in New York’s North Country. The music director is responsible for setting the artistic vision of the Sinfonietta, crafting engaging programs and choosing repertoire, and serving as a public ambassador for classical music in the Lake Placid community. The Sinfonietta seeks a music director who respects, supports, and leverages the musicianship of the orchestra and who is able to foster a sense of community not only among the musicians, but also with the Lake Placid community.
The music director collaborates with the Board of Directors and Executive Director, playing a supporting artistic role in deepening community relationships, including with donors, and in fundraising activities.
As conductor of the Sinfonietta, the music director is in residence in Lake Placid during the six-week summer season, with housing provided. Additionally, the music director is expected to be in Lake Placid up to two times during the off-season for chamber concerts and community engagement opportunities.
The Orchestra:
Now in its 108th season, the Sinfonietta is a professional 20-member chamber orchestra based in Lake Placid, New York, with a long tradition of artistic excellence and community outreach. The orchestra traces its roots to 1917, when a small ensemble of Boston Symphony musicians began playing at the Lake Placid Club in the summer. During World War II, a group of musicians from the Rochester Philharmonic and Eastman School of Music built on those roots to form the Lake Placid Club Sinfonietta, which grew into a premier ensemble, performing major works scaled for chamber settings. Since 1983, the Lake Placid Sinfonietta has been a community-supported non-profit that seeks to unleash the power of music to entertain, educate and inspire people of all ages. The orchestra is now in an exciting period of growth and transition, seeking to build on its history to expand its reach and programming.
The Sinfonietta currently presents a six-week summer season – and increasingly, additional off-season chamber performances – and is a cornerstone of the region’s cultural life, serving both local residents and seasonal visitors. The Sinfonietta maintains a music library of nearly 2,000 works, including historic scores and custom arrangements for the small ensemble. A defining feature of the orchestra’s artistic identity is the presentation of major symphonic repertoire reimagined for chamber orchestra. The orchestra’s core instrumentation is 1-1-1-1 / 2-1-0-0 / 1 percussion/timpani / 4-3-2-2-1, with flexibility to engage additional musicians for larger programs (commonly second clarinet, trombone, additional percussion, harp, or keyboards). Musicians join the Sinfonietta from across the country, representing leading orchestras and universities.
The summer season includes three distinct concert series:
- Park Series: Free outdoor concerts on the shores of Mirror Lake featuring light classics and pops programs. Concerts run approximately one hour.
- Adirondack Series: Runout concerts in regional communities, often presented in partnership with local organizations or schools. Programs are approximately one hour.
- Symphony Series: Ticketed concerts in Lake Placid highlighting major classical repertoire. These programs typically run about 1.5 hours.
About the Region & Community
Lake Placid is a world-renowned mountain village in the Adirondack Park celebrated for its Olympic legacy, stunning natural beauty, and vibrant arts culture. The Adirondacks are home to year-round and summer seasonal residents, many who have long familial ties to the region. Each summer, the area also attracts visitors from across the country, creating a unique environment where music, recreation, tourism, and community life intersect.
The Sinfonietta’s musicians and audiences share a strong sense of connection, with many patrons supporting the orchestra for decades. The community highly values personal interaction with musicians and conductors, and the orchestra thrives on an atmosphere of mutual respect and collaboration.
The Sinfonietta’s main performance venue, the Arts Center Lake Placid, is currently undergoing a $30+ million renovation, slated for completion in 2027.
Job Responsibilities
Artistic Leadership & Programming
- Shape and advance the artistic vision of the Sinfonietta while honoring its history and chamber orchestra identity.
Maintain and foster a culture of artistic excellence.
- Design imaginative, artistically compelling programs that balance familiarity with innovation across all concert series.
- Curate repertoire that reflects artistic inclusivity, drawing from a wide range of musical voices, eras, and perspectives.
- Artistic responsibility and oversight of the hiring process for orchestra positions as well as guest artists.
- Plan and lead efficient, well-structured rehearsals that maximize limited rehearsal time.
- Develop programming appropriate for outdoor and non-traditional venues.
Orchestra Culture
- Foster a respectful and collegial orchestra culture that values musicians’ time, experience, and professionalism.
- Lead with an understanding of the seasonal nature of the orchestra, encouraging trust and individual artistic ownership.
- Support the recruitment of top professional players, including guest artists and soloists.
- Maintain open and clear communication with musicians and musician leadership.
Community Engagement & Audience Connection
- Articulate the artistic vision of the orchestra in support of institutional growth and sustainability.
- Engage audiences through welcoming and accessible on-stage communication.
- Help audiences connect meaningfully with the music, including first-time and casual listeners as well as long-time supporters.
- Serve as a visible and approachable ambassador for the Sinfonietta, participating in occasional community events and off-season activities.
- Support fundraising and development efforts by engaging with donors, sponsors, and community stakeholders.
Requirements
Skills, abilities, and experience:
- Exceptional musicianship and conducting skills
- Experience in a music director, principal conductor, assistant conductor, or comparable leadership role with a professional orchestra required
- Clear understanding of orchestration, particularly when working with reductions
- Ability to arrange, adapt, or reduce repertoire for chamber orchestra preferred
- Ability to run effective, efficient rehearsals
- Knowledge of a broad range of repertoire
- Strong interpersonal skills both on and off stage
- Ability to engage and educate audiences, including both those new to the arts as well as those with deep appreciation for and knowledge of classical music
- Ability to support and develop educational outreach programming in partnership with Executive Director
- Ability to support fundraising efforts led by the Board of Directors and Executive Director
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in music required.
- Advanced degree in music, such as in conducting or related field, preferred.
Application:
Application materials must include the following:
- Personal letter of interest
- Resume or CV
- Three video clips of the candidate conducting
- Three references
Please submit your materials, including publicly accessible video links, to MusicDirectorSearch@lakeplacidsinfonietta.org. References will be requested later in the search process.
The search committee will begin reviewing applications on a rolling basis up to March 31, 2026. We encourage interested applicants to submit their materials early in the process.
The Lake Placid Sinfonietta is an equal opportunity employer.
