About Inside the Orchestra and the Program Director Position

Inside the Orchestra (IO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The mission of Inside the Orchestra is to bring music to
children, cultivating music appreciation and enhancing their education through engaging, interactive experiences with
orchestral music.
IO’s unique and interactive programs are designed to plant the seeds for life-long appreciation of music and performing
arts – as well as to fill in gaps in music education provided by the educational system. IO provides large-scale immersive,
interactive educational concerts for children 12 and under, through in-school programming and in programs open to the
public. IO also provides smaller group performance programs, educational sessions, lesson plans, and curated activities for teachers and individuals to engage children with music and the performing arts. In a typical year, IO provides in-
person programs to over 20,000 people.

IO is committed to providing high-quality childhood arts programming, in English and multilingual formats, to racially
and economically diverse communities. The organization prioritizes hiring and partnering with exceptional professional
artists and organizations, taking the needs of children as attendees seriously, and creating dynamic programming that
helps kids step into the world of the arts in a way that is unlike anything they can do anywhere else. IO is known for
being inclusive and equitable – putting the needs of children first – and taking down barriers that can exist between the
audience and the orchestra. Orchestra music is for everyone, and IO is dedicated to reimagining its place in our
community.

In the past five years, IO has received national recognition and funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the National
Endowment for the Arts. IO has been awarded “Best of Denver” recognition from Westword for both in-person and
separately for online programming. Since March 2020, students, teachers, and educators from around Colorado,
throughout the US, and around the world have joined IO online for virtual programming. In fall 2022, IO debuted its first
“Inside the Story ”project. This multi-year project was created in collaboration with Lighthouse Writers Workshop and Art Students League of Denver and featured bilingual programming, books, concerts, and arts experiences for young
people.

IO’s current staff includes 3 full-time team members, 2 part-time conductors, approximately 50 musicians and
performers, an active group of volunteers, and additional contractors. Inside the Orchestra is honored to be one of the
local nonprofits recognized as a Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) Tier III Arts and Cultural organization.
The Program Director will oversee all programming including:
• Tiny Tots: immersive concerts featuring 30+ musicians and designed for kids 7 and under. Children are
encouraged to respond to different elements of the music through imagination-based prompts and activities,
taught about the instruments, shown a diverse array of performance styles from different cultural
backgrounds, and introduced to musical concepts. Tiny Tots is offered in-person in addition to seven virtual
programs currently available.
• Large-scale In-School Programs: interactive concerts featuring 14+ musicians and geared toward a range of
ages. Conductors/teaching artists engage students, asking questions and teaching about the music as it is
being played. Students are treated to up-close demos by strings, woodwinds, horns, and percussion.
Programming can also include lesson plans, at-home activities, follow-up programs, and hands-on time with
instruments.
• Solos, Trios, and Quintets: Programs led by musicians ranging in size from solos to quintets. Program topics
are designed to educate kids about music and give them a chance to explore through group discussion and
artistic responses.
• Virtual Resource Hub: includes a yearlong music curriculum for ECE-8th grade to engage with orchestral music
in adaptable ways. The curriculum provides teachers with 49 full lesson plans, hundreds of independent
activities videos, and musical games split across seven main musical categories and 26 sub-categories.

The Program Director must be able to perform multiple duties in a wide variety of operational areas simultaneously with
a high level of detail and accuracy. A positive attitude, strong work ethic, and good communication skills are critical to
the success of this role. The Program Director must be able to excel both in an office setting as well as in front of
hundreds of families or children and be able to do so while maintaining composure and the highest level of customer
service. Similarly, they must be able to work effectively with smaller groups of people, such as teachers, volunteers, or
interns. This position requires high levels of creativity, and innovation while working within the bounds of limited
resources. The Program Director will help with the expansion and growth of the organization, striving to go above and
beyond expectations.

Director of Programs Specific Roles and Responsibilities:

Program Design & Artistic Responsibilities
• Supervises the planning and performance of orchestra concerts for children and their families, including
programming, scripts, collaborations, securing venues (including rehearsal venues), guest artists and sound
equipment and tech. This includes full orchestra and small ensemble performances in schools.
• Establishes, and implements goals for each program.
• Schedules and coordinates rehearsals and performances.
• Establishes overall Program Design & Strategy to support IO’s values around diversity and accessibility.
• Oversees all aspects of program evaluation.
• Works with the Executive Director and Conductor on a Long-Term Artistic Plan
• Ensures proper communication with our stakeholders, making sure programming is responsive to their needs
rather than prescriptive.

•Commits to hiring performers and guest artists of a variety of ages and cultural heritages, and always seeks to
diversify the cultural representation of musicians and artists in our programming.
• Ensures that programming consistently features music written by non-white and non-male composers.
• Works to build bigger/better pathways for adults and children with special needs to have successful experiences
at programs.
• Develops curriculum and curation of online content in order to support specific education program goals.
• Conducts participant analysis.
• Incorporates stakeholder feedback to continually improve programming.
• Adheres to all program budgets including expense and revenue goals.
• Works with Conductors and Personnel Manager to ensure the needs of musicians and organization are met
whenever possible.

Program Management & Evaluation
• Works with the Executive Director to ensure that annual school and community programs are aligned with budget
and financial management.
• Establishes and implements timelines for program development completion based on the season’s schedule and
schedules of all individuals involved.
• Schedules and coordinates rehearsals and performances.
• Supervises pre-production meetings with arranger, narrator, conductor and artistic committee.
• Supervises the distribution of sheet music to musicians. Musicians should have access to music 30 days prior to
the rehearsal for each production. This includes maintaining physical and digital sheet music libraries.
• Works with Program Coordinator on Coordination of school field trips including working with school and
community contacts to find affordable ticket prices in relation to the school’s level of need.
• Communicates parking and venue information to the orchestra via the Personnel Manager.
• Drafts and sends all pre and post event communications.
• Creation/design of print programs and any props/signage to be used during performances.
• Serves as team lead for all day of event activities including management of volunteers on-site in conjunction
with Executive Director
• Works with the Program Coordinator to oversee Box office and front of house including supervision of set up
and tear down of the orchestra, staging, PA system, box office and front of house areas.
• Works with the Executive Director on grant and community reporting and ensures all grant-promised programs
are being completed.
• With the Program Coordinator, manages phone ticket purchases and payments, ticket rescheduling and
cancellation, refunds, and requests for additional information.
• Supervises a post-production team meeting to evaluate the effectiveness of the season and other aspects of future
show development.

Partnerships & Audience Development
• Seeks out collaborations and partnerships with guest artists from diverse organizations, representing
communities of color and marginalized communities, and works with these guest artists using a model of
collective leadership.
• Increases collaborative efforts with other organizations to capitalize on production opportunities that also
diversify and grow participation in Inside the Orchestra programs.
• Conceptualizes and implements processes for reaching a broader audience through performances and
educational programs.

Marketing & Communications
• Assists with the development of public relations and communications strategies to support program goals and
increase community awareness.

• Contacts local elementary schools, preschools, businesses, and parenting groups to encourage program
familiarity and attendance
• Regularly brainstorms new strategies to reach target demographics.
• Assists in marketing and PR for programming, including the development of quality print material, online
promotional material, monthly newsletter, social media posts, and the like.

Qualifications

• Possesses some level of orchestral Experience (educational or performance).
• Demonstrates a high level of creativity and innovation.
• Requires a thorough understanding of program management techniques and methods (Minimum 3 years of
experience in program management and design).
• Knowledge of evaluation techniques and measurement of key metrics.
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Ability to excel both in an office setting as well as in front of hundreds of families or children and be able to do
so while maintaining composure and the highest level of customer service.
• Alignment with Inside the Orchestra’s values and commitment to the community.
https://insidetheorchestra.org/about-us/our-commitment-to-equity-and-inclusion/
• Experience with a variety of computer programs such as MS Office, Salesforce, WordPress, and Google Analytics,
as well as familiarity with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• English/Spanish candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.