Career Center

Mission: To inspire and engage our community through exceptional musical and educational programs.

Vision: To be a premier cultural destination and leading performing arts organization that sparks lasting connections and transformative impact for all of Charleston.

Join the Charleston Symphony: A Bold Vision for the Future

The Charleston Symphony is a growing, forward-thinking orchestra in one of the nation’s most dynamic and thriving cities. Concert attendance has increased by over 75% since before the pandemic, reflecting the community’s strong support for live music. Following a successful inaugural endowment campaign that surpassed $15 million, a second campaign is underway to further strengthen the Symphony’s long-term artistic and financial foundation. In 2025, the CSO marked a major milestone with its debut at Carnegie Hall.

Rooted in 90 years of artistic tradition and guided by core values of excellence, collaboration, integrity, and innovation, the CSO is focused on attracting and retaining outstanding talent while building a sustainable future that supports competitive compensation and artistic fulfillment.

The CSO seeks a full-time Orchestra and Production Manager to oversee all musician and production-related operations and ensure the seamless execution of rehearsals, performances, and programs. This role serves as a central liaison between musicians, artistic leadership, and administrative staff, supporting a collaborative environment that enables artistic excellence and operational efficiency.

Position Summary

The Orchestra and Production Manager is a key member of the Artistic Operations team and is responsible for the administration and coordination of all orchestra personnel and production activities. This role oversees musician scheduling, hiring, payroll coordination, auditions, and service execution, ensuring alignment across artistic and operational priorities.

Working closely with the Artistic Director, Principal Librarian, Operations team, and Core Principal Musicians, the Orchestra and Production Manager ensures appropriate instrumentation, roster planning, and personnel coverage for all services. This plays a critical role in overseeing productions and fostering strong collaboration across departments to ensure all programs are executed at the highest level.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and diplomatic, with strong communication skills and the ability to remain flexible in a fast-paced environment. Experience with ArtsVision or similar orchestral management software is preferred.

Core Responsibilities

1. Orchestra Personnel & Administration

• Oversee all aspects of musician personnel management, including hiring, contracts, scheduling, attendance, and recordkeeping
• Manage musician data and communications through ArtsVision, including calendars, rosters, call sheets, and service records
• Serve as the primary point of contact for musicians regarding schedules, assignments, and personnel matters
• Partner with the Artistic Director, Principal Librarian, and principal musicians to ensure proper instrumentation and roster planning
• Develop and maintain a strong and reliable pool of guest musicians
• Maintain accurate personnel records, including contracts, payroll documentation, and service histories
• Collect and verify payroll-related information (including doubling, cartage, and overtime) and submit documentation for processing
• Monitor and manage the musician hiring budget, preparing cost estimates and reports in collaboration with finance

2. Production Management

• Design stage plots in collaboration with Artistic Director and key Musicians
• Monitor and manage production budgets and payables
• Manage Production Coordinator

• Oversee and communicate musician, equipment, and staging needs to Production Coordinator and part-time Stagehands for all CSO services
• Ensure all Production details are communicated with venues in collaboration with Operations and Production staff

3. Rehearsals, Performances & Service Execution

• Coordinate and oversee all orchestra services, including rehearsals, concerts, tours, chamber music, fundraising, and education programs
• Ensure proper production staffing
• Ensure compliance with collective bargaining agreements and service parameters, including start/end times, breaks, and overtime
• Prepare and distribute service schedules and ensure all personnel are informed of expectations
• Partner on-site with production and operations teams to ensure seamless execution of all services

4. Musician Relations & Communication

• Build and maintain strong, professional relationships with core and guest musicians
• Serve as a liaison between musicians, artistic leadership, and administrative staff
• Communicate clearly and consistently with musicians regarding schedules, expectations, and organizational updates
• Provide guidance on personnel matters with professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality
• Support musician participation in education and community engagement programs

5. Auditions, Recruitment & Organizational Support

• Coordinate auditions for core and guest musicians, including applications, materials, scheduling, and candidate communications
• Partner with audition committees and support candidate experience and follow-up
• Maintain and expand recruitment pipelines in collaboration with artistic leadership
• Coordinate housing logistics for guest musicians in partnership with housing support
• Collaborate across departments—including production, operations, marketing, and advancement—to support organizational initiatives and performances
• Provide additional operational and production support as needed to meet organizational priorities

• Experience in orchestra personnel management and/or orchestra administration
• Strong knowledge of orchestral repertoire and the operational needs of a professional symphony orchestra
• Familiarity with ArtsVision or similar orchestral management software
• Familiarity with designing stage plots
• Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and time-management skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Professionalism, discretion, and diplomacy when working with musicians and staff
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Availability to work evenings and weekends, and to assist with last-minute musician coverage when necessary

About Charleston Symphony

The Charleston Symphony is celebrating its 89th season of serving the community through engaging musical performances and enriching education programs. Founded in 1936, the CSO remains a cornerstone of Charleston’s arts and culture scene, performing Masterworks and Pops series at the newly renovated Charleston Gaillard Center. In recent years, the CSO has expanded its education programs and now invests more than $530,000 annually to reach students throughout the tri-county region. As the largest full-time performing arts organization in the state, the CSO serves close to 50,000 adults and children annually. Employing 24 full-time “core” musicians and more than 100 guest musicians throughout the season, the organization has a $3.5 million budget and relies on philanthropic support to cover 55% of annual operating expenses. Every year the orchestra hosts more than 150 concerts and activities throughout South Carolina, including education and family experiences, community engagement events, free performances, chamber music, main series concerts, and more. To continue learning about the CSO, visit charlestonsymphony.org.

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