Musical Director

Southampton Philharmonic Choir – Musical Director Vacancy (from September 2026)

Southampton Philharmonic Choir (SPC), one of the leading and longest-established choirs in the Wessex region, seeks a new Musical Director to take up the post in September 2026.

SPC is an auditioned choir of around 110 singers drawn from Southampton, South Hampshire and the New Forest. We rehearse and perform in partnership with the Southampton University Philharmonic Choir, which typically augments our numbers by 20-40 voices. Rehearsals take place on Monday evenings at Turner Sims, the concert hall at the University of Southampton.

Our concerts are held mainly at the O2 Guildhall Southampton, with occasional performances at Turner Sims, Romsey Abbey and Winchester Cathedral. We perform three major concerts each year, engaging professional orchestras and soloists, and presenting a varied, ambitious repertoire ranging from the baroque to contemporary works.

We are looking for a dynamic and inspiring conductor with the skill, creativity and warmth to motivate singers, develop musicianship and continue the choir’s artistic growth.

Remuneration (reviewed annually): in the current year, £1,400 per concert plus £140 per 2-hour rehearsal (minimum 30 rehearsals p.a.; minimum two concerts p.a.). Note that the MD is engaged on a freelance basis.

Further details, including role description and application process, are available in the https://drive.google.com/file/d/11CWub0swqk3i_CHI0q6JMJOdivdtir5o/view?usp=sharing – Candidate Information Pack.

Applications should be sent to Deborah Mitchell, Secretary, at mailto:[email protected] – [email protected] by midnight on Friday 2 January 2026.