The Music Department of Bates College invites applications for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor position for a composer and conductor, starting July, 2026. We seek an outstanding artist with strong commitments to excellent undergraduate teaching in a liberal arts context. A terminal degree in music composition or a related field is required. The successful candidate will have demonstrable excellence in composition and orchestral conducting, and teaching experience in music theory and composition.
The Bates Music Department is composed of scholars, composers, and performers, offering a highly flexible program to undergraduate liberal arts students spanning composition, performance, music theory, ethnomusicology, musicology, and music and mind. The appointment comes with a five-course teaching load,spread either as a 2-3 or 3-2 across two semesters. Orchestra conducting is worth a full teaching credit over the academic year. The successful applicant will teach courses in diatonic and chromatic harmony, composition, and orchestration. In addition to teaching, the prospective candidate may advise thesis projects in the area of composition. Visiting faculty do not participate in shared governance and are not assigned ongoing administrative or committee responsibilities. They are required to attend faculty meetings and encouraged to attend departmental meetings related to teaching and to engage collegially in the academic life of the department.
Review of applications will begin on February 23, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. Candidates should include the following:
A cover letter summarizing the applicant’s interest in this position and qualifications, both scholarly and pedagogical; a current CV; a statement of teaching philosophy; a statement on creative work; the name and contact information for three professional references. Supplemental documents will be requested of finalists. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check and verification of degree.
Bates students come from a diversity of educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, and we are committed to each student’s success. As part of the application, candidates should integrate a discussion of their approaches to inclusive learning into their teaching statement, and, where appropriate, into their statement outlining current creative work. These statements may include examples of pedagogical strategies, prior experience, or professional preparation that inform their work with diverse learners.
The Olin Arts Center is home to the Music Department, the Art and Visual Culture Department, and the Bates Museum of Art. Olin houses several practice rooms, ensemble rooms, seminar rooms, lecture halls, and the Olin Concert Hall, a 300-seat recital hall. The Theater and Dance department is housed in the Schaeffer/Pettigrew performing arts complex, featuring Schaeffer Theatre, a 300 seat proscenium style house; Gannett Theater, a flexible venue that seats roughly 70 -100 people; and Black Box Theater, a small laboratory space seating 40 people. Additionally, Bates is home to the Digital Media Studios, a facility providing equipment and expertise for a wide range of audio and visual media, as well as the Visualization Lab, which includes Extended Reality studios and 3D printing, and the Immersive Media Studio.
Bates College is a residential liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine—a diverse and growing community roughly 45 minutes from Portland, the state’s largest city, 2 ½ hours north of Boston, and 4 ½ hours south of Montreal. Bates values faculty scholarship, creative work, and pedagogical innovation as central to its academic mission. While visiting faculty appointments are primarily teaching-focused, the College recognizes that scholarly and creative activity may remain an important part of a faculty member’s professional identity. Institutional resources supporting scholarship and teaching are available in ways appropriate to the scope and duration of the appointment. Community-engaged learning and study abroad are broadly encouraged and supported, and pedagogical development and innovation are supported through the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning.
Educational access and racial justice are central to Bates’ history and mission and our faculty-led initiatives reflect this commitment.
