Intern with the Festival this Summer

Intern positions are filled for summer 2024.

Administrative Interns assist in the day-to-day operations of the Festival and School, including box office operations (ticket sales and order fulfillment), nurturing patron relationships, and various responsibilities at live concerts/events. Interns assist with Faculty and Fellow arrivals, departures, accommodations, and any special needs. They help oversee concessions and concert production duties. 

These positions are a great way to gain valuable experience in virtually every facet of arts administration.

Qualifications: Applicants should have either a bachelor's degree, three years' work experience, be enrolled in a college program, or have an equivalent combination. Previous arts administration experience, and an interest and/or background in classical music or music education is helpful. Experience working with the public is preferred. Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs is a plus. Candidates should be flexible and willing to work as a part of a team.

Compensation: Stipend, housing, and meals are included. May be eligible for college credit.

The Music Librarian position is filled for summer 2024.

The Music Librarian is responsible for all activities of the Festival's music and recording library. Responsibilities include purchase and rental of scores and parts, cataloging the Festival's collection, maintenance of lending records, marking bowings, and operation of library's audio equipment. They will produce weekly Emerging Artists' Performance Series printed programs. The Music Librarian will also assist with various functions of the box office and patron relations as needed.

As Director's Assistant responsibilities include assisting the Festival Director and General Manager in preparation of weekly and daily schedules, correspondence with artists, and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: Applicants should have a bachelor's degree or be enrolled in a college program. Previous library experience and knowledge of classical music performance is a plus. A valid driver’s license and reliable vehicle are helpful to have but not required.  Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs is a plus. Candidates should be flexible and willing to work as a part of a team.

Compensation: Stipend, housing, and meals are included. May be eligible for college credit.

The Production Coordinator position is filled for summer 2024.

The Production Coordinator is responsible for the preparation and upkeep of all concert spaces (Music Shed, Battell Recital Hall, and Brookside Studio) as well as for all performances and events. Additional responsibilities include upkeep and inventory of all concert and rehearsal equipment (chairs, stands, percussion equipment, etc.); stage management and supervision of all performances, master classes and lectures; operation of stage lighting with occasional re-focusing of lights; load-in, load-out and maintenance of equipment; assist with concert hall scheduling; coordinate and oversee stage crew; assist Recording Engineer when needed.

Qualifications: Applicants should have either a bachelor's degree, three years' work experience, be enrolled in a college program, or have an equivalent combination. Technical stage experience, familiarity with personal computers, previous arts administration experience and knowledge of classical music performance are a plus. Candidates should be flexible and willing to work as a part of a team.

Compensation: Stipend, housing, and meals are included. May be eligible for college credit.

The Social Media Coordinator position is filled for summer 2024.

The Social Media Coordinator will oversee and monitor day-to-day content of the Festival’s social media platforms; create and maintain a social media calendar; monitor and report platform metrics; assist in creating content to increase the digital visibility and name recognition of both the Festival and school and to promote Festival concerts and events. The Social Media Coordinator will create and organize assets (photos, video, text) that can be used for admissions and general Festival awareness during the off-season.

Qualifications: Applicants should have either a bachelor's degree, three years' work experience, be enrolled in a college program, or have an equivalent combination. Experience and/or interest in social media and with social media platforms preferred. Experience in photography, videography, writing, and copy editing helpful. Candidates should be flexible and willing to work as a part of a team.

Compensation: Stipend, housing, and meals are included. May be eligible for college credit.

Music in Norfolk has a long and vibrant history, dating back to the 1890s when Ellen Battell and her husband Carl Stoeckel, son of the Yale School of Music’s first professor, founded the Litchfield County Choral Union. Chamber music and choral concerts in their 35-room mansion, Whitehouse, were the beginning of the Festival that by the turn of the century was already considered one of the country’s most prestigious. As audiences grew, the Stoeckels commissioned New York architect, E.K. Rossiter, to design the larger and acoustically superior Music Shed. Dedicated in 1906, a recent restoration has returned the hall to its original glory. The stunning acoustics have remained unchanged since renowned musicians such as Fritz Kreisler, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Jean Sibelius graced its stage.

Programs from the early days of the Festival (1906-1923) demonstrate that Norfolk was a dynamic center where composers, performers, poets and authors from around the world were Honourary members of the Litchfield County Choral Union. A short list includes Alice Longfellow in 1910 (daughter of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and one of the founders of Radcliffe College); Henry Hadley also in Norfolk in 1910 (first conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, Associate Conductor of the New York Philharmonic, founder of the Berkshire Symphonic Music Festival in 1934 — later known as Tanglewood); and Frederick Stock in 1915 (Music Director of the Chicago Symphony for 37 years, succeeding its founder, Theodore Thomas, and preceding Fritz Reiner). Other Honourary members included Vincent D’Indy, Antonín Dvořák, Edward Everett Hale, Camille Saint-Saëns and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Norfolk was an important, perhaps critical, stop on the music circuit in the early years of the 20th century.

Upon her death in 1939, Ellen Battell Stoeckel left her estate in a private trust with instructions that the facilities be used for Yale University’s summer music school, ensuring an enduring artistic legacy. Now in its 77th season, the Norfolk Chamber Music — Yale School of Music has a dual teaching/performance purpose. Audiences from around the country come to northwest Connecticut to hear world-class artists, such as the Tokyo, Alexander, Brentano, Emerson, and Artis String Quartets. Boris Berman, Peter Frankl, William Purvis, Frank Morelli, Ani Kavafian and many others from around the world perform as part of a series of nearly 40 concerts over a nine-week period. These professional musicians also serve as teachers and mentors to the Fellows who come to Norfolk each year to study.

The Fellows who spend their summer in Norfolk participate in the intensive program of coachings, classes and performances. They are exposed to every aspect of their future profession: their colleagues, their mentors, and most importantly, their audience. Alumni of the Norfolk program who have enjoyed successful careers in music include Alan Gilbert, Richard Stoltzman, Frederica von Stade, Pamela Frank, the Claremont and Eroica Trios, Sō Percussion, eighth blackbird, and the Alexander, Calder, Cassatt, Cavani, Jasper, Miró, Saint Lawrence, Shanghai and Ying quartets, among many others. Recent Norfolk alumni, have also won many of the most prestigious chamber music prizes including the Young Artists’, Naumberg, Fischoff, M-Prize, and Banff competitions.

A strong bond exists with the community, as residents of Norfolk and the surrounding area host the Fellows throughout their summer experience. The Fellows perform on the Emerging Artist Showcase series, which is offered free to the public throughout the summer, as well as join their faculty mentors on our Chamber Music Friday concert series. The community of music lovers supports the young performers and becomes their most enthusiastic advocate.

Over the years, while Norfolk has become a symbol of quality in chamber music performance and professional study, thousands have enjoyed the picturesque environment of the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Estate and the excellence of one of America’s most distinguished musical traditions. In both the school and in our concerts we work every day to honor the spirit of Ellen and Carl Stoeckel, as stated in a concert program from June, 1922: “the sole object being to honour the composer and his work, under the most elevated conditions.”