Director of Music

About the role

Director of Music shapes the worship life and faith formation of Knox Presbyterian Church through excellent and meaningful music. With the assistance of clergy, professional, and volunteer leadership, the Director of Music ensures that diverse and high-quality music offerings are available to the congregation and the wider community. The Director of Music specifically provides inspiring, effective, and fiscally responsible leadership for the Knox Choir, the Knox Music Series, and the church’s professional music staff, while fostering a thriving, multigenerational musical culture. Knox Presbyterian Church is a 1,000+-member church in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, rooted in the Presbyterian tradition, with a strong belief in Jesus Christ. The church’s staff includes a pastor, two associate pastors, and director-level personnel in faith formation, music, facility and business management, communications, and preschool education. An annual budget of $2.2 million and an endowment of $8 million support an active and progressive congregation that welcomes and affirms all people. Knox’s mission, outreach, and social justice programs collaborate with more than twenty local organizations. The church is characterized by a strong commitment to life-long learning and spiritual development and has robust education and music programs. Music at Knox includes the Knox Choir, the Fresh Spirit (contemporary) Ensemble, and Children, Youth and Handbell choirs. The Knox Choir consists of 40 volunteer members and eight professional soloists who lead worship from September‑May, with a large repertoire ranging from a cappella miniatures to choral‑orchestral works and commissions. Knox maintains a collection of high‑quality musical instruments, including a renovated and expanded 50‑rank Holtkamp pipe organ, a Steinway concert grand piano, a Flemish harpsichord, a five‑octave set of Schulmerich handbells, and a Juget‑Sinclair continuo organ. Recent upgrades to audio‑visual and technical equipment enhance the online and in‑church experience. The church’s extensive choral library contains more than eight hundred works, including several significant collections and anthologies. As a service to the community, Knox produces the Knox Music Series, offering major works for chorus and orchestra to the public free of charge, supported by a generous endowment for special projects and the Earl Rivers Commissioning Fund.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Knox Choir (40 members, 8 professional soloists/section leaders) in rehearsals, worship services, and concerts.
• Provide feedback and guidance to pastors and the Worship & Music Committee regarding varied music offerings.
• Develop and manage the annual Worship & Music budget in collaboration with the Worship & Music Committee and the Fresh Spirit Ensemble director.
• Oversee the care and curation of Knox’s musical instrument collection (organs, keyboards, handbells, and more).
• Manage the operations of the music program in collaboration with other Knox staff.
• In coordination with other Knox staff and volunteers, plan, prepare, coordinate, lead, and fundraise for the Knox Music Series, a long-running series of free concerts open to the public.
• Supervise and manage members of the church’s musical staff, including the organist, soloists/section leaders, assistant choir director/handbell director, and others.
• Actively recruit and retain members of the Knox Choir, both volunteer and paid, in collaboration with church staff and volunteers.

Requirements

• Vision for the future of the Knox music program.
• Understanding of music as a means of faith formation.
• Eagerness to work in a collaborative and friendly environment with Knox staff and musicians.
• Advanced musical education and conducting experience required for the duties described.

Pay

Salary: $35,000 - $45,000 per year (part‑time).

Schedule

Scheduled work week: fewer than 20 hours, includes Sunday for worship and Thursday evening for choir rehearsals.