Artistic Director

GREAT LAKES CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL 

For three decades, the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival has provided extraordinary concerts and educational activities in metropolitan Detroit. Our mainstage activities are focused around a two-week period in mid-June, complemented by community engagement services that occur throughout the year. Each year, we present 30+ concerts and events. Over 40 artists participate..

The Festival has become a leading presenter, promoting our region as a destination for exceptional chamber music. A rotating coterie of artists comes together to present an event that spans traditional and contemporary repertoire. Artists participating in 2024 and/or 2025 include Leila Josefowicz, Tai Murray, Tessa Lark, Philip Setzer, Jennifer Frautschi, Yvonne Lam, Matt Albert, Robyn Bollinger, Kimberly Kennedy, Hsin-Yun Huang, Kathy Litton, Paul Neubauer, Edward Arron, Paul Watkins, Peter Wiley, Christine Goerke, Nicholas Phan, Alessio Bax, Shai Wosner, Gloria Chien, Gilles Vonsattel, Inon Barnatan, Andrew Litton, Third Coast Percussion and a host of other ensembles and performers.

Pianist and educator James Tocco served as the founding Artistic Director of the Festival for 21 years. Upon Toco’s retirement in 2014, cellist Paul Watkins accepted the role. A member of the Nash Ensemble before joining the Emerson String Quartet, Watkins is Professor of Cello at Yale.

Our activities are firmly rooted in the spirit of collaboration. The Festival was conceived as a joint venture that combines resources of institutions representing Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths, along with a prominent local ensemble, Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings.

Next generation talent is nurtured through our professional development program, the Catherine Filene Shouse Chamber Music Institute. Each year this program hosts three to five ensembles that are elevating to professional status. Directed by former Emerson Quartet member Philip Setzer, the Shouse Institute has matriculated many successful ensembles, such as Eighth Blackbird, the Claremont Trio, and the Pacifica, Jupiter, Escher, Calidore, Parker, Jasper, Ariel, Attacca, Harlem and Viano Quartets.

Our endowed Stone Composer-in-Residence program began in 1997 to promote the expansion of new music from American composers. John Corigliano, Ned Rorem, Leon Kirchner, Peter Schickele, Stephen Hartke, Carlos Simon, David Baker, and Elliott Carter are some of the composers who have filled this role. In 2018, 13 previous resident composers premiered brief pieces for our 25th anniversary, including Joan Tower, Chen Yi, John Harbison, William Bolcom and Paul Schoenfield. Our Composer Fellow program commissions new works by young composers to be performed at the Festival by our Shouse ensembles.

For the last three years, the Festival has been co-commissioning an emerging composer in collaboration with Chamber Music Northwest and the Seattle Chamber Music Society. Other significant commission partners have included the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Carnegie Hall and the Nash Ensemble. The 2025 Festival will include premieres by Sean Shepherd, Joan Tower, and composer fellow, Ethan Soledad.

 ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION 

Within broad parameters established by the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival’s Board of Directors, the Artistic Director is responsible for imagining, developing and implementing the organization’s creative vision. (S)he serves as the key interlocuter between the Festival’s executive leadership and the coterie of outstanding musicians that the event regularly presents. The position reports to the Festival’s Board of Directors and President.

Duties and Responsibilities

– Provide dynamic musical leadership and inspire the Festival’s Board, staff, musicians and family of supporters.
– Serve as a key spokesperson for the Festival in local, national and international communities.
– Work closely with board and staff to help ensure the successful implementation of the Festival’s artistic vision.
– Within budget parameters established by board and staff leadership, identify and recommend musicians capable of fulfilling the Festival’s artistic vision with the highest level of excellence.
– Be present for the June Festival and participate regularly on its artistic presentations.
– Work with Festival staff to coordinate artists’ engagement.
– Select program contents and repertoire for Festival performances.
– Provide insight and leadership to Festival education and community engagement activities.
– Play an active role in implementing Festival development and marketing activities.
– Meet regularly, either in person or via electronic communication, with the Festival’s Board.
– Attend the Festival’s Annual Meeting, either in person or electronically.
– Attend the Festival and represent the musicians to the Board.
– Be prepared to travel to Detroit at least three times during the course of the year for meetings or fundraising events.

Qualifications 

– A national reputation for artistic excellence.
– The ability to communicate effectively using a variety of media as well as on stage.
– Strong personal connections across the international community of performers and creators.
– Encyclopedic knowledge of chamber music repertoire.
– Comfort in the language of music of our time.
– Commitment to music education, nurturing the future of our artform.
– Ability to communicate effectively with the broad Festival constituency, including board, staff, musicians and audience members.
– Creative risk-taking, pushing the Festival to stretch its limits and broaden its horizons while maintaining and growing its audience.
– Inspirational leadership, the ability to move people along the continuum of support for our artform and our organization.

All application materials must be submitted electronically to tooson@art-ops.org

Candidates should submit the following materials by August 31, 2025: 

– A cover letter highlighting career achievements and expressing your artistic vision and philosophy.
– A resume or CV that includes details of your experience and qualifications.
– Optional links to any website or online content/media that candidates wish to share.