Opportunities

PRINCIPAL CELLO

AUDITION DATE/TIME:
Friday, May 9, preliminary rounds: 9:00am – 3:00pm (pending number of candidates.)
2nd and final rounds will follow immediately.

LOCATION
Minnesota Opera Center
620 North 1st Street
Minneapolis, MN 55401

REPERTOIRE
Candidates will be asked to prepare selected operatic and symphonic excerpts as well as specific solo selection(s.) Excerpts and other musical requirements will be available no later than March 1, 2025.

COMPENSATION
Positions will be available at the beginning of the 2025-2026 season. Scale per service for the 2025-2026 season will be $289.10 for Principal Cello with total compensation for the season not less than $12,500. Pension contributions apply to all compensation received as set forth in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

APPLICATION FEE
MN Opera requires neither a deposit nor fee to be granted an audition. Please note that failing to show up for your audition or canceling without reasonable notice may adversely affect eligibility for future audition opportunities.

APPLICATION PROCESS
• Qualified candidates should fill out and submit the linked form with attached résumé no later than April 21. We cannot guarantee granting an audition to submissions received after that date.
• All instrumental musicians must maintain membership in good standing with the Twin Cities Musicians Union for any engagements with The Minnesota Opera Orchestra.
• In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the Unites States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
• Minnesota Opera is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• For questions, please contact Roxanne Stouffer Cruz at roxy@mnopera.org.

ABOUT THE MINNESOTA OPERA
Minnesota Opera’s vision and mission is to advance the art of opera for today and future generations by expanding the circle of musical storytelling. For more information about Minnesota Opera, please visit https://mnopera.org/about/. Minnesota Opera is committed to the pursuit of anti-racism and the expansion of equity and access, both internally and in the broader community. As a vital part of this institution, the Minnesota Opera Orchestra shares that commitment and endeavors to reflect those values in all facets of operation.

ABOUT THE MINNESOTA OPERA ORCHESTRA
The Minnesota Opera Orchestra is an internationally recognized ensemble of 46 core musicians and has served Minnesota Opera for 60 years. The orchestra performs primarily at the Ordway as part of Minnesota Opera, as well as at venues across the Twin Cities such as the Luminary Arts Center, Allianz Field, The O’Shaughnessy Theater, and CHS Field. The musicians of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra are members of the Twin Cities Musicians Union, the Local 30-73 of the American Federation of Musicians, and play under a multi-year collective bargaining agreement between the TCMU and MN Opera. The Minnesota Opera Orchestra functions as a highly collaborative ensemble working closely with artistic teams in both the performance of inherited repertoire and the creation of new works. The orchestra workshopped and performed the world premiere of Silent Night by composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell, commissioned by Minnesota Opera, which received the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music. The orchestra is featured on the commercial recording of Silent Night (2021) and on two PBS Great Performance specials, Silent Night (2011) and Doubt (2019) and is regularly heard in broadcasts of the Minnesota Opera on Minnesota Public Radio. Other world premieres include: The Shining by Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell, The Manchurian Candidate by Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell, and the regional premiere of Dead Man Walking by Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally. The orchestra most recently collaborated with composer Paola Prestini and librettist Mark Campbell on Edward Tulane, based on the original story by Minnesota author Kate DiCamillo, performing in both the world premiere at the Ordway in 2022 and subsequent recording release in 2023 on VIA (VisionIntoArt) Records.