Accompanist

Accompanist

Posting Number - req26265

Department - School of Dance

Location - Tucson Campus

Address - Tucson, AZ USA

Position Highlights - Passionate about music and its power to inspire movement? This position with the School of Dance offers the opportunity to support dance education and performance through live musical accompaniment. The School of Dance provides live musical support for technique classes, rehearsals, and productions. A successful incumbent will blend music with physical movement, requiring both advanced piano performance and spontaneous improvisation. School of Dance accompanists play for both general education and dance major modern, ballet, and other classes. As a member of the School of Dance, you will contribute to a vibrant and collaborative arts community where music and movement come together to enrich the educational and performance experience. Your talent and creativity will help support the next generation of dancers and artists. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.

Duties & Responsibilities - Provides piano accompaniment for ballet classes. Provides piano and percussion accompaniment for modern dance classes. Working closely with dance faculty/instructor to understand the desired musical energy and interpretive goals. Provide musical support and accompaniment during rehearsals, performances, or recordings. Accompany special classes, auditions, and master classes outside of the regular work week, on occasion. Substitute for classes as needed and attend meetings called by the Music Director for Dance. Collaborate effectively with students, staff, and faculty to support the academic and artistic mission of the department. Continue to expand their repertoire for dance classes; proactively research, learn, and adapt new musical scores and genres to maintain an engaging, dynamic, and non-repetitive auditory environment for daily dance classes.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Demonstrated ability to sight-read and quickly adapt diverse musical genres. Strong ear-training skills with the ability to transpose or rearrange music on the fly. Knowledge of, or willingness to learn, how various musical structures align with ballet, modern, and jazz pedagogy. Excellent interpersonal skills with a history of successful collaboration alongside faculty instructors, guest artists, and student choreographers. Ability to match tempo, emotional dynamics, and physical phrasing simply by watching the movement of dancers.

Minimum Qualifications - High school diploma or high school diploma equivalency is required. Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Preferred Qualifications - Bachelor's or Master's degree in Collaborative Piano, Piano Performance, Music Theory, Percussion, or an equivalent field. Two or more years of experience playing live accompaniment for professional dance companies, elite pre-professional academies, or university-level dance departments. Experience accompanying a wide breadth of dance genres, specifically classical ballet, jazz, and contemporary/modern techniques.

FLSA - Non-Exempt

Full Time/Part Time - Part Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week - 10

Job FTE - 0.25

Work Calendar - Fiscal

Job Category - Arts and Creative Services

Benefits Eligible - No Benefits

Rate of Pay - $16.50 - $20.63

Compensation Type - hourly rate

Grade - 3

Compensation Guidance - The Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity. The Grade Range represents a full range of career compensation growth over time. The university offers compensation growth opportunities within its career architecture. To learn more about compensation, please review our Applicant Compensation Guide and our Total Rewards Calculator.

Career Stream and Level - OC2

Job Family - Venue Mgmt & Logistics

Job Function - Arts & Creative Services

Type of criminal background check required: - Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies - 1

Target Hire Date - 8/17/2026

Contact Information for Candidates - Duane Cyrus | View email address on click.appcast.io

Open Date - 6/12/2026

Open Until Filled - Yes

Documents Needed to Apply - Resume and Cover Letter