About The Role

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. This position requires the employee to be a professing Christian and to be willing to support the Christian mission of ACU.

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The Visiting Professor and Collaborative Pianist will serve as a faculty artist, vocal coach, mentor, and key musical collaborator for ACU Theatre’s BFA Musical Theatre program. The position will provide approximately 15–17 hours of weekly support through collaborative piano, voice instruction, student coaching, rehearsals, productions, and NYC Showcase preparation. During the 2026–27 transitional year, the role will also provide designated support to the Department of Music while maintaining Theatre as its primary home. The position will move into full-time alignment with ACU Theatre in Spring 2027, while continuing to support Music through a partial contract as needed.

Position Overview

The Visiting Professor / Collaborative Pianist serves as a key artistic and instructional partner within ACU Theatre, with primary responsibility for supporting the BFA Musical Theatre program through collaborative piano, vocal coaching, classroom instruction, rehearsal, and production support.

The position will be housed within ACU Theatre while also providing intentional collaborative support to the Department of Music during the 2026–27 academic year. The goal is to create a sustainable workload that prioritizes Theatre’s ongoing needs while allowing thoughtful partnership with Music. The position will move into full time alignment for the Department of Theatre in Spring 2027.

Note: The position will continue to contract and support the Music Department if needed in a partial contract capacity.

Primary Responsibilities — ACU Theatre

● Provide approximately 15–17 hours per week of collaborative piano, coaching, and instructional support for Theatre.

● Accompany individual BFA Musical Theatre voice lessons and coaching sessions.

● Support Freshman Musical Theatre Voice/Class Voice, including

● Monday/Wednesday/Friday section
● Tuesday/Thursday section
● Collaborate closely with Dr. Chris Hollingsworth and other Theatre voice faculty.
● Provide collaborative piano support for Musical Theatre Lab as scheduled.
● Coach students in repertoire, musical preparation, interpretation, style, and performance.
● Support senior Musical Theatre students preparing for the 2027 NYC Showcase.
● Accompany auditions, juries, recitals, departmental performances, and other student-performance needs as reasonably scheduled.

Production Responsibilities

Serve as a collaborative pianist, rehearsal pianist, coach, and/or pit musician for major Theatre productions and events as assigned, with particular emphasis on:
● Fiddler on the Roof — Homecoming Musical
● Spring musical and other musical-theatre production needs
● NYC Showcase preparation and performance
● Selected rehearsals, auditions, cabarets, and departmental events
Production responsibilities will be scheduled thoughtfully in coordination with the regular weekly teaching and coaching load.

Music Department Partnership

During this transitional year, the position will also provide designated collaborative-piano support for the Department of Music, including work with Dr. Rick Piersall and other faculty/students as assigned.

This may include

● Voice lessons and vocal coaching
● Opera coaching/rehearsal support
● Recital and Chapel performance support
● Auditions and other collaborative-piano needs
Theatre and Music leadership will work together to define these responsibilities and maintain a reasonable overall workload.

Faculty Engagement

As a Visiting Professor, this position will be welcomed as a contributing member of the Theatre faculty and artistic community. Responsibilities may include:
● Collaboration with Theatre faculty regarding student progress and artistic development.
● Participation in departmental activities and special events when appropriate.
● Mentoring students as a professional musician, coach, and collaborative artist.
● Supporting ACU’s commitment to excellent artistic training within a Christ-centered educational environment.
Regular Friday Theatre faculty meetings are not expected as part of the weekly workload; relevant information and notes can be shared as needed.

Scheduling & Workload

The weekly schedule will primarily be structured Monday–Thursday, with the intention of preserving Friday whenever possible.
The schedule will be built collaboratively and may shift during production periods. Particular care will be taken to balance:
● Theatre’s 15–17 hours of weekly studio/vocal support
● Music Department responsibilities
● Production and rehearsal commitments
● Reasonable preparation, transition, and meal time
● Previously approved professional artistic commitments when feasible

Position Goal

This position is designed to be more than an accompanist role. This position will serve as a faculty artist, musical collaborator, coach, mentor, and partner whose professional experience strengthens the artistic and educational work of ACU Theatre while providing meaningful collaborative support across the university’s vocal programs.

ACU does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, disability, genetic information, national or ethnic origin in employment opportunities, in keeping with applicable state and federal law.

ACU is committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment and protecting the university's financial and physical assets. Therefore, Abilene Christian University conducts background checks on all candidates for employment in security sensitive positions. As a current employee, it will be determined if you need an additional background check upon your hire.