Yellow Barn is an international center for chamber music based in Putney, Vermont. For over 50 years its core program has been its annual summer festival for professional musicians ranging from those who are in the earliest stages of their careers to artists who are among the most renowned musicians of our time. Our summer campus is located at the Greenwood School in Putney, Vermont, and the performance venue is the Big Barn, located approximately 2.5 miles from the Greenwood School.
The festival takes place between mid-June and early-August and is comprised of two programs: the five-week Yellow Barn Program for professional musicians, and three-week Young Artists Program for performers and composers ages 13-20. The festival operates on a daily schedule (7 days per week), with activities taking place from early morning to late evening. There are approximately 30 public events during the course of the festival, including 24 concerts.
There are three production staff members who work for the duration of the eight-week festival. (A fourth production staff position, already filled, is added for the five-week Yellow Barn Program.)
The production staff works as a team that meets daily with the Executive Director and also works closely with the Artistic Director. Yellow Barn naturally fosters a family-like campus community, and the Yellow Barn staff interacts both professionally and socially with our international community of musicians and their families.
Dates of employment: June 9 -August 7, 2023
Fee: $8,300, plus housing and meals
Note: Production staff members must have use of a car for the duration of the festival.
Production Team Responsibilities:
- Managing participant arrival and departure days for the two programs, as well as faculty arrivals and departures throughout the summer.
- Setting up practice/rehearsal spaces throughout the day as required by the predetermined rehearsal schedule, plus a daily “reset” of all spaces.
- Coordinating and providing transportation for musicians and instruments.
- Maintaining an inventory of scores/parts, instruments, sound equipment, and other production-related items.
- Supporting special production requirements, including acquiring items for particular performances.
- Trouble-shooting and resolving campus needs, which include the campus vans, kitchen, dormitory, practice/rehearsal rooms, and other campus spaces, in partnership with the Greenwood School facilities staff and the kitchen staff.
- Overseeing dormitory life, including providing support for musicians in the Young Artists Program, and running recreational activities.
- Providing production support for concerts and the annual summer gala, including stage management together with the Big Barn house manager.
- Handling other production-based responsibilities as assigned.
Schedule:
In general, the production team works from 8:30am until 6pm, with a break for lunch. Production staff members work every other concert and generally take 1 day off per week, according to a rotating schedule that they create and follow as a group. In addition, they take turns completing a 7:30am campus “reset” and other early morning needs, and on non-concert days take turns staffing the festival office after dinner from 7-9pm (with the exception of Sundays during the Yellow Barn program).
Qualifications:
Personal experience with performing arts production is a requirement for all production staff positions. In addition, candidates must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, good spatial awareness, experience with printers/copy machines, and proficiency with Microsoft Office tools. Successful candidates will have the ability to: organize information that changes daily, complete tasks consistently despite interruptions, and work independently in a group setting. Candidates must be efficient, responsible, flexible, and thrive in a fast-paced, hard-working environment. Candidates must have a car in good working order, have a valid United States Driver’s License, and be comfortable living and driving on country roads.
For more information or to apply, please contact Catherine Stephan, Executive Director, at catherine@yellowbarn.org. Applicants please submit a current resume, plus a cover letter or a video introduction (approximately 5 minutes).