Orchestra Personnel Manager & Librarian

ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER & LIBRARIAN

Central City Opera House Association (“Central City Opera,” “CCOHA,” or “CCO”)

Reports to: Head of Music

Works closely with: Senior Director of Artistic Planning & Partnerships; Director of Production; Managing Director of Internal Affairs; Finance & Accounting; conductors; orchestra musicians; and AFM representatives

Status: Part-time, Seasonal

Compensation: $18.00-23.00 per hour during preparation weeks for the summer festival, depending on experience. The current CBA with AFM Local 20-623 DMA chapter outlines compensation for the Orchestra Personnel Manager responsibilities of this position during the summer Festival.

Location: The primary work location(s) will be at CCO’s administrative offices in Wheat Ridge, CO from approximately mid- August through May, with some commuting as necessary to Central City, CO during these months, with work primarily in Central City, CO from approximately mid-June through mid-August.

Work Schedule: This person in this position is allowed up to 15 hours per week on average, with variances due to the ebb and flow of responsibilities as authorized. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00AM – 5:00PM and the Orchestra Personnel Manager & Librarian is expected to perform most duties in the office during these hours in order to maintain direct communication and collaboration with other CCO Staff members and use office equipment and materials, with flexible work schedule allowances as approved in advance.

Application: To apply, please submit a résumé and cover letter describing your relevant orchestra personnel, library, and/or artistic operations experience via this platform, or visit Careers & Auditions - Central City Opera to view all open positions at CCO. Please submit your application by October 9, 2026 to be included in initial interviews; the position will remain posted until filled.

 

 

POSITION SUMMARY

Central City Opera seeks a highly organized, collaborative, and musically knowledgeable Orchestra Manager / Orchestra Librarian to oversee the personnel administration, operations, and music-library functions of the Central City Opera Orchestra.

Reporting to the Head of Music, the Orchestra Manager / Orchestra Librarian serves as the primary administrative liaison between Central City Opera and its orchestra musicians. The position is responsible for ensuring that orchestra services are organized efficiently, musical materials are prepared accurately and on time, and orchestra activity is administered in accordance with Central City Opera policies and the applicable collective bargaining agreement.

This position requires an unusual combination of musical knowledge, meticulous organization, excellent interpersonal judgment, and the ability to remain calm and responsive in a fast-paced professional opera environment. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable preparing orchestral materials, managing detailed personnel records, working with conductors and principal players, and resolving last-minute operational issues during rehearsals and performances.

Central City Opera presents its annual summer Festival in historic Central City, Colorado. The position includes advance planning and preparation prior to the Festival as well as intensive onsite responsibilities during the rehearsal and performance period.

ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL & ADMINISTRATION

The Orchestra Manager / Orchestra Librarian will:

• - Serve as the primary administrative contact for Central City Opera orchestra musicians.
• - Maintain accurate orchestra rosters, personnel records, contact information,
• instrumentation, and availability.
• - Coordinate musician contracting and related communications in collaboration with the Head of Music and CCO administration.
• - Engage substitute, extra, and replacement musicians as needed and in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement and CCO procedures.
• - Coordinate and administer orchestra auditions when vacancies occur, including candidate communications, scheduling, audition materials, personnel, and day-of logistics.
• - Maintain detailed attendance and service records for rehearsals and performances.
• - Track orchestra service times, breaks, overtime, doubling, extra services, and other
• compensation-related activity.
• - Prepare and submit accurate payroll information and supporting documentation to Finance according to established deadlines.
• - Track information required for applicable pension, health-and-welfare, annuity, or other contractual payments and reporting.
• - Maintain records necessary to demonstrate compliance with the collective bargaining agreement.
• - Maintain a strong working knowledge of applicable AFM contract provisions and bring potential contractual issues to the Head of Music and management promptly.
• - Communicate rehearsal, performance, call-time, and schedule information clearly and promptly to musicians.
• - Coordinate planned absences, emergency replacements, leaves, and other orchestra personnel changes.
• - Respond professionally and discreetly to musician questions and concerns, involving the Head of -  -  - Music or other senior leadership when appropriate.
• - Maintain thorough documentation of orchestra personnel matters and contractual activity.
• - Support the Head of Music and management with orchestra budget preparation, forecasting, payroll projections, and other financial information as requested.
• - Assist CCO leadership in preparing information and documentation related to collective bargaining and labor-management discussions.

REHEARSAL & PERFORMANCE OPERATIONS

• - Attend and staff orchestra rehearsals, performances, and other required orchestra services.

• - Serve as the administrative point person for orchestra musicians during services.
• - Monitor adherence to contractual requirements governing service length, breaks, call times, working conditions, and related provisions.
• - Maintain accurate service and attendance records.
• - Work closely with the Head of Music, conductors, Production, Stage Management, and artistic staff to anticipate and resolve orchestra-related operational needs.
• - Coordinate instrumentation requirements for each production, concert, or program.
• - Assist with orchestra pit, offstage, and banda personnel planning and related logistics.
• - Coordinate rental or acquisition of specialty instruments and orchestra equipment when required.
• - Communicate last-minute schedule, personnel, instrumentation, or operational changes efficiently and accurately.
• - Help ensure that orchestra rehearsal and performance spaces are prepared to meet musicians’ professional and contractual needs.

ORCHESTRA LIBRARY

The Orchestra Manager / Orchestra Librarian is responsible for the accurate and timely preparation and management of all orchestral music used by Central City Opera.

Responsibilities include:

• - Research, acquire, rent, or purchase scores and orchestral parts for productions, concerts, auditions, and other orchestra activities.

• - Confirm editions and musical materials in consultation with the Head of Music, conductors, and other artistic leadership.

• - Maintain relationships and correspondence with publishers, rental houses, composers, arrangers, and other music-rights providers as appropriate.
• - Prepare orchestra parts accurately and professionally, including cuts, inserts, corrections, rehearsal numbers, divisi, transpositions, and other markings.

• -Coordinate string bowings with conductors, concertmasters, and principal string players and transfer markings accurately into parts.
• - Distribute music to musicians sufficiently in advance of rehearsals.
• - Maintain scores and parts throughout the rehearsal and performance process and respond promptly to corrections or changes.
• - Maintain an orderly physical and digital orchestra library and an accurate inventory of CCO-owned materials.
• - Preserve useful historical bowings, markings, performance materials, and archival information for future productions.
• - Maintain appropriate digital files and scans where permitted.
• - Ensure that copyright, licensing, rental, and reproduction requirements are followed.
• - Collect all materials following productions and performances.
• - Return rented materials accurately, with markings removed as required, and on time; maintain records of shipments and returns.
• - Process or submit publisher, rental, shipping, and music-related invoices promptly.
• - Develop estimates for music rental, purchase, shipping, and preparation costs for annual and production budgeting.
• - Maintain appropriate library supplies, equipment, and work areas.
• - Be available during rehearsals and performances to address music-related issues as they arise.

FESTIVAL CLOSEOUT & SEASON PLANNING

Following the Festival, the Orchestra Manager / Orchestra Librarian will:

• - Reconcile orchestra personnel, service, and payroll records.
• - Confirm return of rented music, instruments, and equipment.
• - Organize and archive CCO-owned and digital music materials.
• - Resolve outstanding musician, publisher, invoice, or contractual matters.
• - Prepare notes and recommendations for the following season.
• - Participate in advance planning for future repertoire, instrumentation, orchestra
• personnel needs, auditions, and library requirements.
• - Maintain continuity of orchestra records and institutional knowledge from season to season.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will possess:

• - Demonstrated experience in orchestra personnel management, orchestra librarianship, artistic operations, or a closely related area.
• - Strong working knowledge of orchestral and operatic repertoire, instrumentation, music theory, and musical terminology.
• - Experience preparing professional orchestral materials.
• - Familiarity with collective bargaining agreements and professional union orchestra practices; experience working with AFM agreements strongly preferred.
• - Strong music-reading skills and exceptional attention to accuracy.
• - Excellent organizational and project-management skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• - Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• - Sound judgment, discretion, diplomacy, and confidence in handling sensitive personnel matters.
• - Ability to build effective working relationships with musicians, conductors, artistic staff, production personnel, administrators, and union representatives.
• - Strong computer skills and comfort communicating within and maintaining detailed digital records, spreadsheets, schedules, PDFs, and music files within CCOHA’s technical systems of record such as - - Microsoft 360 Office applications (SharePoint, Excel, Word, Teams, Outlook, Forms) and AdobeSign.
• - Ability to anticipate problems and resolve them calmly in a time-sensitive performance environment.
• - Reliability, flexibility, and the ability to work independently while keeping the Head of Music appropriately informed.
• - Previous professional opera, orchestra, or festival experience strongly preferred.
• - A bachelor’s degree in music, arts administration, or a related field is preferred; equivalent professional experience will be considered.
• - Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Colorado driver’s license;
• - Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and other technological applications used in office and program administration.
• - Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, to lift and transport dense library storage bins, heavy orchestral scores, or manuscript boxes and safely navigate steps to library and library ladders.
• - Manual dexterity with extreme attention to detail to process high volumes of paper documents accurately, without damage.

WORKING CONDITIONS & SCHEDULE

This position includes significant advance work prior to Central City Opera’s summer Festival and an intensive on-site schedule during the Festival period.

During the Festival, the Orchestra Manager / Orchestra Librarian must be available for orchestra rehearsals and performances, including evenings, weekends, and holidays as scheduled. Hours will vary according to the orchestra service schedule and production needs.

The position requires the ability to work effectively in a fast-moving performing-arts environment in which schedules and personnel needs may change on short notice.

Part-time work outside the Festival period will be required for contracting, music acquisition and preparation, personnel administration, auditions, season planning, and Festival closeout.

BENEFITS

As a Part-time and Seasonal employee, the Orchestra Personnel Manager/Librarian is eligible for limited benefits, as per the Employee Handbook in compliance with State and Federal Law.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CCOHA is committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive and equitable work environment. We encourage candidates who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and other underrepresented identities to apply. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role. All applications will receive consideration for employment.

ABOUT CENTRAL CITY OPERA

Founded in 1932, Central City Opera is one of the nation’s oldest professional opera companies. CCO is renowned for professional opera productions, artist training, education and community engagement, and stewardship of its extraordinary historic properties.

Each summer, Central City Opera brings artists and audiences from across the country to its historic Opera House and campus in Central City, Colorado, approximately 35 miles west of Denver.

Central City Opera is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for artists, employees, audiences, and the communities we serve.