Visiting Assistant Professor of Choral Activities

Visiting Assistant Professor of Choral Activities

Texas Lutheran University invites applications for an 18 month, full-time, Visiting Assistant Professor position for the Director of Choral Activities beginning spring 2026. The position is subject to renewal for the academic year of fall 2027 to spring 2028.

This position serves as student recruiter in the spring of 2026, working closely with School of Music faculty members and the Office of Admissions to proactively establish and maintain relationships with choral directors in secondary public and private schools.  Beginning in the fall of 2026 the candidate will:  conduct the university mixed choir, treble choir, and a possible chamber choir; continue to recruit students and grow the choral ensembles; actively recruit music majors and non-majors in cooperation with the other members of the School of Music; and engage in university life as a faculty member.

Position requirements include:

• Earned doctorate, ABD, or a master’s degree with extensive professional experience.  (master’s degree with a minimum of 18 credit hours in choral conducting)
• Ability to begin intensive choir recruiting duties in the spring of 2026 and begin conducting responsibilities in the fall of 2026.     
• An interest and ability to recruit students to the choral program, both majors and non-majors.  Release time will be offered during the semesters of conducting ensembles to continue ensemble growth and expansion. Generous scholarships available to facilitate growth in the program.
• An understanding of the public music education system and a willingness to establish and maintain connection and rapport with secondary school teachers in the region. 
• Evidence of excellence as a choral conductor.
• Competent piano skills as necessary for rehearsals. The Director of Piano Studies serves as choral collaborative pianist for performances.
• Ability to teach introductory courses and secondary choral methods courses. 
• Ability and desire to affirm the mission of Texas Lutheran University and have an understanding of and appreciation for a church-related university.

Preference will be given to candidates who also offer one or more of the following:

• Experience in the Texas public school music system
• Willingness to participate in the TLU Summer Music Academy Choral Camp

To receive full consideration, each candidate should submit the following materials as a single electronic file (PDF preferred):  
 

• Letter of application addressing the above criteria. 
• Current curriculum vitae.
• Statement explaining your teaching philosophy and practice, especially as those relate to inclusive service of TLU’s diverse student body. 
• Unrestricted links to video recordings of recent, formal performances (45 to 60 minutes, a minimum of two different performances)
• Unrestricted links to video recordings of rehearsals of varying ensembles with the camera facing the conductor and a microphone placement allowing all comments to be heard (please use online platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, or similar; videos should be directly accessible, without download, from a link). 
• Contact information for three professional references (names, addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers). 

Please send your submissions electronically to Dr. Eliza Jeffords, Professor of Music at musicsearch@tlu.edu. 

Review of applications will begin immediately and remain open until position is filled. 

Like many other Lutheran institutions of higher learning, the TLU School of Music has a long and diverse musical history.  F. Melius Christiansen’s grandson, Sigurd Chritiansen, served as conductor of the TLU Choir as did Gerhard Cartford, a major contributor to the collection and translation of Latin American liturgies and hymns in the Lutheran Church. The Caroline M. Weston Center for the Performing Arts houses the School of Music which was completed in the spring of 2018. The 32,000 square foot building contains band, choir, and orchestra ensemble rehearsal halls, computer lab, classrooms, faculty offices, studio space, and individual practice rooms. The inclusion of music in the liberal arts curriculum ensures that all students at Texas Lutheran University will have an opportunity to experience the vital role that music can play in their cultural, aesthetic, and religious lives. Texas Lutheran University is NASM accredited, offering Bachelor of Music degrees in Performance and Music Education, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music.   

Texas Lutheran University is rigorously committed to inclusion. A Hispanic-Serving Institution with a student body almost 50% Latinx/Hispanic, TLU celebrates a community diverse in many ways. One of the 26 colleges and universities affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, TLU celebrates its strong religious diversity and its deep commitment to academic freedom. For more information, consult https://www.tlu.edu/about-tlu/equity.

TLU is situated at the edge of the Texas Hill Country in the San Antonio-Austin corridor, one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. Primarily undergraduate, TLU also offers a number of graduate programs as well as offsite programs in nursing in Houston and New Braunfels.

Salary and benefits are competitive. TLU is an equal opportunity employer (EOE).